ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Badgers

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the post-mortem testing of badgers killed in road accidents in Staffordshire; and if she will make a statement.

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will (a) instruct the State Veterinary Service to carry out post-mortem tests on badgers killed on roads in Staffordshire and (b) ensure that the service is adequately funded to carry out such tests.

Ben Bradshaw: Post-mortem testing of badgers killed in road accidents is carried out under the Road Traffic Accident (RTA) survey. This was established on the advice of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISO) and is conducted in seven English counties (Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Dorset). The objective is to determine whether the RTA can provide an accurate indication of the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis in badgers by comparing it with the data from the randomised badger culling trial.
	We are awaiting the results of the validation of the survey in the badger culling trial areas before taking any decisions about extending the survey area further. There are also logistical and budgetary problems in extending the RTA survey.

Bovine TB

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much compensation has been paid to farmers in (a) Wales and (b) England for cattle slaughtered under TB control policies in each year since 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: The amount spent on bovine TB compensation for the last five financial years for (a) Wales and (b) England and the forecast for 2005–06, is given in the table:
	
		£ million
		
			  Financial year (a) Wales actual expenditure (b) England actual expenditure 
		
		
			 2000–01 1,288,350 5,715,490 
			 2001–02 2,366,105 7,366,506 
			 2002–03 8,881,841 26,075,860 
			 2003–04 10,298,975 26,586,242 
			 2004–05 9,810,000 24,141,733 
			 2005–06 (1)9,300,000 (1)27,000,000 
		
	
	(1)Forecast

Livery Stables

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she plans to make available to proprietors of livery stables to assist them in complying with the provisions of the Waste Management Licensing (England and Wales) (Amendment and Related Provisions) Regulations 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: Guidance on the Waste Management Licensing (England and Wales) (Amendment and Related Provisions) Regulations 2005 (the 2005 regulations) will be published before the end of June.
	Changes to the composting exemption from waste management licensing made in the 2005 regulations do not apply to the storage of manure. They apply to composting, that is, the active mixing of manure with other biodegradable waste to make compost.

Marine Bill

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes she plans to make to the (a) role and (b) jurisdictions of Sea Fisheries Committees, with particular reference to the proposed Marine Bill.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have undertaken an extensive engagement process with stakeholders on recommendations on inshore fisheries management made by both the Strategy Unit report on the UK fishing industry (Net benefits") and the Bradley review of fisheries and environmental management. The English Inshore Fisheries Working Group which met as part of that process reached agreement on an updated set of responsibilities and powers which would be needed to operate a modern, efficient system of inshore management and have submitted their report on this to me. Views in the working group were divided on the best structure to deliver inshore fisheries management.
	The response of the four UK Fisheries Departments to the Net Benefits" response will be published shortly, but we are currently further evaluating the options for the future structure of inshore fisheries management in England. Whatever the outcome of that consideration, there will be a need for legislation, at the minimum to update the current legislative framework for Sea Fisheries Committees. The proposed Marine Bill is likely to be the vehicle for introducing such changes.

Marine Bill

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date she expects to publish the draft Marine Bill.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have made a commitment to publish the draft Marine Bill in the first Session of this Parliament. We have yet to fix a specific date, but it is likely to be published during the later stages of the Session.

Recycling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many recycling centres there are in England, broken down by (a) region and (b) type of facility.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the table:
	
		Number of recycling sites(2)
		
			 Government office region Regional total 
		
		
			 East Midlands 1,764 
			 Eastern 2,553 
			 London 2,598 
			 North East 588 
			 North West 1,660 
			 South East 3,402 
			 South West 2,137 
			 West Midlands 1,687 
			 Yorkshire/Humber 1,631 
			 Total 18,020 
		
	
	(2)Number of recycling sites under local authority control. Information on the number of sites run by other organisations such as charity shops or supermarkets is not available.

Water Meter Charges

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were in receipt of the social tariff for water meter charges in each of the last three years.

Elliot Morley: The following table sets out the numbers of customers in receipt of the social tariff, otherwise known as the Vulnerable Groups Tariff, over the last three years for which figures are available, as collected by Ofwat.
	
		
			  Successful applications 
		
		
			 2003–04 7,202 
			 2002–03 5,832 
			 2001–02 4,716 
		
	
	These relate to the total number of successful applications across England and Wales (Welsh Water and Dee Valley Water offer the scheme voluntarily even though the Regulations do not apply to Wales).

Whaling

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the Government of Norway and (b) other Governments on the practice of whaling; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK Government regularly make their opposition to whaling known to the Government of Norway. Officials will be raising the recent announcement of an increase in Norwegian whaling when they visit the country in the near future.
	Together with Australia and New Zealand, we intend to make our opposition to Japanese 'scientific whaling' known in a forthcoming joint demarche.
	Together with colleagues from the French and German embassies, HM ambassador in Reykjavik issued a statement on 24 May repeating our strong opposition to their continuing 'scientific whaling' programme.
	I made our objections very clear with regard to Norwegian whaling and the Japanese and Icelandic 'scientific whaling', together with the extreme cruelty involved, following the BBC news feature on 9 May on Norwegian whaling.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

September Sittings

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Leader of the House what plans he has to bring forward proposals to change the arrangements for September sittings.

Nigel Griffiths: The House will not be sitting this September because of work required in the Chamber. The calendar for 2006 has not yet been decided.

Development in Africa

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Leader of the House what assessment he has made of the Work of Parliament and Development in Africa Working Party.

Nigel Griffiths: The establishment of the cross party working party on Parliament and Development in Africa last year reflects the strong interest which exists on both sides of this House in international development, and the role which parliamentarians can play. I welcome this.

Modernisation

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Leader of the House what plans he has for the further modernisation of the House of Commons.

Geoff Hoon: I believe there is scope for further modernisation in the way we do our business in this House, and I look forward to discussing with colleagues from all sides of the House how we can best take this forward.
	I hope a motion re-establishing the Modernisation Committee will be tabled before the summer.

Pre-legislative Scrutiny

Graham Allen: To ask the Leader of the House if he will encourage Government Departments to subject all Bills in this and future Sessions to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Nigel Griffiths: The Government are committed to pre-legislative scrutiny, and have substantially increased the number of Bills published in draft. But it is not realistic to expect that all Bills should be published in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny: Parliament must be able to legislate quickly where there is a clear need, and constraints on drafting capacity place a limit on the number of Bills that can be produced in draft in any particular Session.

Public Understanding

Julie Morgan: To ask the Leader of the House what plans he has to make the business of the House more comprehensible to the public.

Geoff Hoon: There is certainly more to be done to make our proceedings in the House readily comprehensible, and accessible, to the public; and I am very willing to consider any suggestions from hon. Members on how this might best be done.

Parliamentary Questions

Ben Chapman: To ask the Leader of the House what plans he has to propose changes to the arrangements for the tabling of written parliamentary questions during the summer recess.

Nigel Griffiths: My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House has no plans to propose changes to current practice.

TRANSPORT

Coventry Airport

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to tackle aircraft emissions at Coventry airport.

Karen Buck: The Government's policy on tackling aviation emissions is set out in chapter 3 of the Air Transport White Paper, published in December 2003. The Government have also introduced national objectives for air quality, set out in the National Air Quality Strategy and prescribed in the Air Quality Regulations 2000. Local authorities have a duty to assess the air quality in their areas against these objectives.

Crossrail

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 11W, 
	(1)  how many Crossrail trains per hour are planned to operate on the (a) Great Western Main Line and (b) Great Eastern Main Line (i) during peak hours, (ii) between peak hours and (iii) in the evenings; what forecast he has made of how much capacity, in terms of trains per hour, will remain for other passenger and freight trains during these periods; what the existing capacity is during these periods; and how these numbers compare with existing numbers of trains operated;
	(2)  what the maximum number of Crossrail trains per hour is for which priority powers are being sought in the Crossrail Bill;
	(3)  how much capacity, in terms of trains per hour, will remain for passenger and freight trains, other than Crossrail trains, if the maximum permitted number of Crossrail trains are operated; and what estimate he has made of changes to journey times for other passenger and freight trains on these routes if the maximum number of Crossrail trains are operated.

Derek Twigg: The following tables summarise the assumptions that have been made in developing Crossrail. Table 1 shows how many Crossrail trains per hour will operate in the central section between Paddington and Whitechapel. Table 2 shows how many Crossrail trains per hour will serve stations to the west of Paddington and to the east of Whitechapel for a corresponding frequency in the central section.
	
		Table 1
		
			  Trains per hour 
		
		
			 Monday to Fridays  
			 Start to 07.00 12 
			 07.00 to 07.45 20 
			 07.45 to 09.15 24 
			 09.15 to 10.00 20 
			 10.00 to 16.00 16 
			 16.00 to 16.45 20 
			 16.45 to 18.15 24 
			 18.15 to 19.00 20 
			 19.00 to 21.00 16 
			 21.00 to close 12 
			   
			 Saturdays  
			 Start to 09.00 12 
			 09.00 to 21.00 16 
			 21.00 to close 12 
			   
			 Sundays  
			 Start to 12.00 12 
			 12.00 to 21.00 16 
			 21.00 to close 12 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			  Trains per hour service 
			 Station/section of route 24 20 16 12 
		
		
			 Shenfield to Stratford 12 10 8 6 
			 Abbey Wood to Isle of Dogs 12 10 8 6 
			 Acton Main Line 4 4 4 4 
			 Ealing Broadway 10 8 8 6 
			 West Ealing 4 4 4 4 
			 Hanwell 2 2 2 2 
			 Southall 8 8 8 6 
			 Hayes and Harlington 10 8 8 6 
			 Heathrow Airport 4 4 4 4 
			 West Drayton 6 4 4 2 
			 Langley, Iver 4 4 4 2 
			 Slough 4 4 4 2 
			 Burnham, Taplow 4 2 2 2 
			 Maidenhead 4 4 4 2 
		
	
	There could also be the following services that would not be part of the principal Crossrail passenger service but would be complementary to it:
	(i) a service of up to six trains per hour between Gidea Park and Liverpool Street during the morning and evening rush hours; and
	(ii) an all day service of between two and four trains per hour serving Reading, Slough and Paddington.
	The capacity for non-Crossrail passenger services (other than existing suburban services subsumed by Crossrail or complementary services) and freight trains is largely unaffected for the following reasons.
	For the Greater Western route Crossrail services will share use of two of the four tracks and will not displace services on to the other two tracks. So apart from periods of maintenance and disruption when services on all four tracks may need to be looked at together, there will be no impact from the operation of Crossrail on the two tracks that currently, and will continue to, carry all of the passenger services not subsumed into Crossrail and complementary services.
	For the Great Eastern route the position is similar with Crossrail trains normally operating on the tracks currently carrying the local services subsumed into Crossrail services and not normally affecting the other two tracks.
	In relation to freight, Crossrail service planning assumes that the current level of planned freight paths will continue. This allows for some growth in services run, since not all of the planned paths for freight are currently used on any given day. The Crossrail project includes a number of local infrastructure works specifically to facilitate continued freight operation.
	This Bill does not specify a maximum number of principal Crossrail passenger service trains to which the use of powers in the Bill could apply. The Bill enables the Secretary of State to specify a minimum number of principal Crossrail passenger service trains. If the Secretary of State exercised this power he would do so taking account of all of his relevant rail and other policies, not simply the interests of Crossrail services in isolation.

Flight Path Changes (Consultation)

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints he has received regarding poorconsultation procedures for aircraft flight path changes.

Karen Buck: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 25 May 2005, Official Report, column 123W, where I indicated that the Department does not maintain a noise complaints database. It does however regularly receive representations about aircraft flight paths. Most concerns relate to the effect of noise on correspondents. As part of this, some comment adversely on the way in which they became aware of changes. I am aware of a judicial review case on airspace changes affecting Suffolk.
	Airspace changes are primarily the responsibility of the Directorate of Airspace Policy at the Civil Aviation Authority in the light of Guidance and Directions from the Secretary of State for Transport under section 66(1) of the Transport Act 2000. These are designed to ensure that changes are made only where it is clear, after consultation, that an overall environmental benefit will accrue, or where airspace management considerations and the overriding need for safety allow for no practical alternative.

Oxford/Bedford (Rail Link)

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made on implementing the proposed rail link between Oxford and Bedford via Bletchley; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Strategic Rail Authority is taking part in the ODPM-sponsored East West Transport links study which is looking into the business case for the East West Rail scheme alongside other transport initiatives aimed at improving transport links in this corridor. The study will report this summer.

Safety Cameras

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many convictions were obtained by safety camera vans operating outside the conspicuity guidelines in (a) Barnsley, (b) Rotherham, (c) Doncaster and (d) the Pogmoor district of Barnsley in 2004–05; and how much revenue was raised in fines from these convictions.

Stephen Ladyman: Safety Camera Partnerships are responsible for the detailed operation of individual camera sites, as a police enforcement matter.
	2004–05 revenues for the south Yorkshire partnership are currently being audited by the Audit Commission and will be published later in the year.

Safety Cameras

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the revenue from fines levied as a result of the activities of the South Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership were in (a) Barnsley, (b) Rotherham, (c) Doncaster and (d) the Pogmoor district of Barnsley in each year since the partnership was established.

Stephen Ladyman: The information as requested is not available. The information for the South Yorkshire police force area for 2002–03 and 2003–04 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Tickets issued Revenue 
		
		
			 2002–03 15,814 948,840 
			 2003–04 52,816 3,168,960 
		
	
	2004–05 revenues are currently being audited by the Audit Commission and will be published later in the year.

Safety Cameras

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many days in 2004–05 safety camera vans operated in (a) Barnsley, (b) Rotherham, (c) Doncaster and (d) the Pogmoor district of Barnsley.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not hold this information. Detailed information is available from partnerships, unless relating to police operational matters.

Safety Cameras

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the areas in which the South Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership operates.

Stephen Ladyman: The partnership operates within the area of the South Yorkshire police, which covers Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils. Details of the camera sites operated in each of these four areas can be found on the partnership's website at www.safetycamera.org

Safety Cameras

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving (a) injury and (b) loss of life (i) have taken place in each year since the installation of speed cameras and (ii) took place in each of the five years before the installation of speed cameras at the site of each fixed speed camera on the Isle of Wight.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 6 June 2005
	The information requested is not held in the format required but the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership have provided the information shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Before camera establishment After camera establishment 
			 Camera route/date established Years Total injuries Serious injuries Fatal Total injuries Serious injuries Fatal 
		
		
			 High Street, Wootton Bridge/1 July 2004 July to December 1999 2 0 0 — — — 
			  2000 5 2 0 — — — 
			 
			 Route length 1.0 km 2001 4 1 0 — — — 
			  2002 5 2 0 — — — 
			 
			 Speed limit 30 mph 2003 5 2 0 — — — 
			  January to June 2004 1 0 0 — — — 
			  July to December 2004 — — — 0 0 0 
			 Total — 22 7 0 0 0 0 
			 
			 Sandown Road, Shanklin/1 July 2004 July to December 1999 0 0 0 — — — 
			  2000 6 2 1 — — — 
			 
			 Route length 1.0 km 2001 3 1 0 — — — 
			  2002 3 0 0 — — — 
			 
			 Speed limit 30 mph 2003 5 0 0 — — — 
			  January to June 2004 3 0 0 — — — 
			  July to December 2004 — — — 4 0 0 
			 Total — 20 3 1 4 0 0 
			 
			 Newport Road, Lake/29 May 2003 June to December 1998 0 0 0 — — — 
			  1999 5 1 0 — — — 
			 
			 Route length 1.0 km 2000 4 1 0 — — — 
			  2001 7 1 0 — — — 
			 
			 Speed limit 30 mph 2002 4 0 0 — — — 
			  January to May 2003 0 0 0 — — — 
			  June to December 2003 — — — 3 1 0 
			  2004 — — — 3 1 0 
			 Total — 20 3 0 6 2 0 
			 
			 Victoria Avenue, Shanklin/1 July 2004 July to December 1999 0 0 0 — — — 
			  2000 2 1 0 — — — 
			 
			 Route length 1.0 km 2001 5 3 0 — — — 
			  2002 2 0 0 — — — 
			 
			 Speed limit 30 mph 2003 0 0 1 — — — 
			  January to June 2004 — — — 0 0 0 
			  July to December 2004 — — — 1 0 0 
			 Total — 9 4 1 1 0 0 
			 
			 Horsebridge Hill, Newport/29 May 2003 June to December 1998 3 0 0 — — — 
			  1999 18 6 0 — — — 
			 
			 Route length 1.85 km 2000 13 4 0 — — — 
			  2001 13 0 0 — — — 
			 
			 Speed limit 40 mph 2002 11 1 0 — — — 
			  January to May 2003 7 2 0 — — — 
			  June to December 2003 — — — 16 1 0 
			  2004 — — — 15 3 0 
			 Total — 65 13 0 31 4 0 
			 
			 St. Johns Hill, Ryde/29 May 2003 June to December 1998 6 2 0 — — — 
			  1999 3 2 0 — — — 
			 
			 Route length 1.0 km 2000 7 0 0 — — — 
			  2001 6 1 0 — — — 
			 
			 Speed limit 30 mph 2002 11 3 0 — — — 
			  January to May 2003 1 1 0 — — — 
			  June to December 2003 — — — 3 1 0 
			  2004 — — — 7 2 1 
			 Total — 35 9 0 10 3 0

WORK AND PENSIONS

Council Tax Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his latest estimate is of the (a) number and (b) percentage of pensioners entitled to council tax benefit who do not receive it; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the total of unclaimed means-tested benefits, including pensions, broken down by benefit, for the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The latest information available on the amount of unclaimed minimum income guarantee, income support, housing benefit, council tax benefit and income-based jobseeker's allowance, relates to financial year 2002–03 and is published in the DWP report entitled: Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2002/2003". A copy of the report is available in the Library.

Disability Living Allowance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to simplify the application form for disability living allowance.

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Annette Brooke, dated 1 June 2005
	I am writing in response to your recent Parliamentary question in which you asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to simplify the application form for disability living allowance (DLA).
	The Disability Carers Service (DCS) is committed to reviewing and improving the services and products we offer to our customers in consultation with customer representative organisations. This includes looking at ways in which we can simplify our claim packs and address the concerns that our customers have about the difficulties they experience in claiming disability benefits.
	We have recently developed and tested a shortened version of the DLA claim pack but after careful consideration, have concluded that a more structured" claim form is appropriate. This could be personalised to obtain information about an individual's care and mobility needs arising from their disabilities. The draft structured" claim form is being designed in line with National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee recommendations on reviewing and improving Government forms, and through consultation with our customer representative organisations. We intend to pilot the form in the Autumn of this year and will, in conjunction with our customer representatives, be evaluating it for ease of completion and general understanding as well as other criteria.
	I hope this information is helpful.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadcasting Reception (Rossendale and Darwen)

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects (a) Channel 5 and (b) Freeview television to be available throughout Rossendale and Darwen.

James Purnell: We do not have a breakdown of coverage by constituency but Digital Television (DTT) coverage maps have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Freeview also provide a comprehensive postcode database (www.freeview.co.uk) that gives availability of DTT throughout the UK.
	The current availability of Freeview is restricted in much of the constituency because of the local terrain which means that, until switchover, the local transmitter at Winter Hill can only broadcast signals at low strength. At switchover, I expect the power of these signals to be increased significantly.
	Similarly, Winter Hill carries Channel 5 at a reduced power compared to the first four channels, and the areas reliant on the relay transmitter network will not be able to receive it until switchover.

Gaelic/Welsh Language Broadcasting

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on contributing towards the cost of a Gaelic language television channel.

James Purnell: Exchequer funding for Gaelic broadcasting is principally through the Scottish Executive's support for the Gaelic Media Service (GMS). Funding of £8.5 million for the GMS was transferred from the Secretary of State for Scotland to the Scottish Executive in 1999. Gaelic language broadcasting is also undertaken by the BBC in radio and television and by ITV1 in Scotland.
	We are working with all the parties concerned to secure a better deal for Gaelic broadcasting and to help achieve that, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently proposed a contribution of £250,000 directly from DCMS budgets.

Gaelic/Welsh Language Broadcasting

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding the Department plans to provide for (a) Gaelic language broadcasting in Scotland and (b) Welsh language broadcasting in Wales in financial years (i) 2005–06, (ii) 2006–07 and (iii) 2007–08.

James Purnell: Gaelic language broadcasting is provided by the BBC on radio and television and are a statutory requirement on ITV1 in Scotland; production is funded by the broadcasters and by the Gaelic Media Service (GMS); the funding of £8.5 million for the GMS was transferred from the Secretary of State for Scotland to the Scottish Executive as part of the devolution settlement in 1999. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also offered a contribution of £250,000 directly from DCMS budgets in 2005–06 as part of the strategy for securing a Gaelic television channel.
	Welsh language broadcasting is provided by the BBC on radio and the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority on S4C television. Funding for S4C continues to fall within my Department's budget and is determined according to a statutory formula: provision is currently set at £92.217 million for 2005–06 and 2006–07 and £92.817 million for 2007–08.

Lord Hollick

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what performance indicators are used to assess the performance of Lord Hollick in his role as chairman of the South Bank Centre.

Tessa Jowell: Lord Hollick's performance is assessed against the following criteria:
	Leadership;
	Setting a clear strategic direction;
	Partnership working; and
	Media handling and representation.
	In reappointing Lord Hollick to the Chair's post this year, assessments of his performance were sought by my Department from Arts Council England and other South Bank Board members, as well as from relevant officials at the Department itself. All individuals reappointed to DCMS NDPBs are assessed against similar criteria.

SCOTLAND

Local Income Tax

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the likely costs to the Inland Revenue of administering a local income tax in Scotland.

David Cairns: Scotland Office Ministers have regular discussions on a range of issues with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

G8 Summit

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Foreign Office and (b) the Scottish Executive concerning measures to promote Scotland during the G8 summit in Perthshire.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discuss many matters. Scotland Office Ministers are also in regular contact with the Scottish First Minister, with whom we discuss a wide range of issues.

Employment (Glasgow)

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next meet the new leader of Glasgow City Council to discuss levels of employment in the city.

David Cairns: I hope to meet Councillor Steven Purcell, the new leader of Glasgow City Council, later this month to discuss a range of issues relating to the city.

Advocate General (Devolution)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent devolution issues the Advocate General has considered.

Alistair Darling: In the time since her last parliamentary questions on 15 March, the Advocate General has had 327 devolution issues intimated to her. 275 of these were concerned with civil matters and the remaining 52 with criminal matters. Most of the civil cases concerned prison conditions. Almost half of the criminal cases concerned pre-trial delay. The Advocate General has not considered it necessary or appropriate to intervene, at this stage, in any of the devolution issues intimated to her since 15 March.

Oil and Gas

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to meet the Minister for Energy in the Department for Trade and Industry to discuss developments in the Scottish oil and gas industry.

David Cairns: Scotland Office Ministers and officials are in touch with their counterparts in the Department for Trade and Industry regularly on a range of energy issues. I expect to meet the Minister for Energy and representatives of the oil and gas industry at next week's meeting of the PILOT group.

Fuel Costs

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on financial measures to relieve the burden of fuel costs in remote and rural areas of Scotland.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend has regular discussions with the Chancellor on a wide range of issues.

Ferry Subsidy

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met Transport Ministers in the Scottish Executive to discuss ferry subsidies.

Alistair Darling: I have regular discussions with Ministers in the Scottish Executive on a range of transport issues. Assistance for ferry services and the level of subsidy provided are devolved matters for decision by the Scottish Parliament and Executive.

Regeneration (Lanarkshire)

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on further financial measures to continue regeneration in the County of Lanarkshire.

David Cairns: Scotland Office Ministers have regular discussions on a range of issues with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Government recognise that the continued regeneration of the Lanarkshire area, like many other areas, is of crucial importance to both its people and the wider national economy. Many Lanarkshire wards currently benefit from their Enterprise Area status, which brings together a range of Government policies to provide support for businesses in creating jobs, opportunities and prosperity. These efforts will reinforce the work of the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire and help to ensure that all communities benefit from our continuing economic prosperity.

Constitutional Change

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further constitutional changes that affect Scotland are planned for this parliamentary Session.

Alistair Darling: The Government have no plans to reopen the general division between devolved and reserved matters under the Scottish devolution settlement. Neither are there plans to change constitutional arrangements more generally. Elements in some of the Bills recently announced in the Queen's Speech will have an impact on devolved matters in Scotland. These are being handled through the normal arrangements whereby the UK Parliament does not legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament.

Energy Supply

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on security of energy supply in Scotland.

David Cairns: Security of supply must always be a core objective of energy policy. We will utilise a wide variety of traditional and new sources of energy and the fullest range of technological developments in order to maintain the future reliability of supplies throughout the UK, while also reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change.
	The major responsibilities for overall energy policy affecting Scotland are reserved to UK Ministers. Scottish Executive Ministers have devolved responsibilities for promotion of renewables and encouraging energy efficiency which are central to security of supply. The Government and the devolved administration are committed to expanding use of renewable energy sources. This applies to proven technologies for onshore wind and to developing technologies to capture Scotland's abundant marine energy resources.
	The Government welcome the interest which the Scottish Affairs Committee has taken in Scotland's future energy needs and will respond in due course to the report which they published shortly before Parliament was dissolved. We also welcome the independent inquiry launched last month by the Royal Society of Edinburgh into energy supply and demand in Scotland to 2050.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Kamel Bourgass

Harry Cohen: To ask the Solicitor-General on what grounds the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew charges against Kamel Bourgass and co-defendants of conspiring to make chemical and biological weapons and substituted conspiracy to cause a public nuisance; for what reasons Government lawyers requested an order requiring no reporting of the charge of making chemical weapons being dropped at the time; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I am advised that the initial charges of conspiracy to manufacture chemical weapons were based upon preliminary indications that traces of ricin were present on articles recovered during searches made of premises occupied by Mr Kamel Bourgass and others. However, it was later confirmed by scientists from Porton Down that the articles did not contain such traces.
	In any event, upon a full review of the case papers it was concluded that other offences properly reflected the totality of the alleged offending behaviour.
	Charges of conspiracy to murder and to cause a public nuisance were therefore substituted. I am told that the prosecution did not apply for an order restricting reporting in relation to the dropping of the charge.

Theft

John Hemming: To ask the Solicitor-General what the policy of the Crown Prosecution Service is relating to the prosecution for first offences of theft from the person; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reviews all cases in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Crown prosecutors consider whether there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction' and if such evidence exists, whether it is in the public interest to prosecute the accused. A prosecution will usually take place unless there are public interest factors tending against prosecution, which clearly outweigh those tending in favour, or it appears more appropriate to divert the person from prosecution. The public interest decision will depend upon all the circumstances of the offence and the background of the offender.
	In respect of adults, diversionary options include informal warnings, cautions, and, in some places, conditional warnings. A caution will only be appropriate when the public interest accords with the Home Office's guidelines on cautioning.
	In respect of youths, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 established a diversion scheme to prevent re-offending by children and young people, who are issued with reprimands or final warnings aimed at diverting them from crime before they enter the formal court system. This scheme, which replaced the previous system of repeat cautioning, provides a response, with appropriate interventions to reduce re-offending. Although the CPS may be consulted during the course of an enquiry if officers want to seek advice on the correct charge, the decision whether or not to issue a reprimand or final warning is for the police.
	Since the introduction of this scheme, the Home Office has issued detailed guidance to the police forces in England and Wales on the application of the legislation to ensure national consistency. It provides a number of options enabling a reprimand or final warning to be administered to a youth, depending on the seriousness of the offence. The police are guided to the appropriate resolution by the identification of a number of gravity factors in the case. A caution or final warning may be an appropriate disposal where a youth without previous convictions or cautions commits an offence, fully admits it and shows appropriate remorse. A very large percentage of young people who are the subject of the diversion scheme do not re-offend.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Air Conditioning

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the estimated average (a) energy use, (b) direct greenhouse gas emissions and (c) indirect greenhouse gas emissions were for air conditioning systems to cool domestic homes in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will estimate how many homes in the United Kingdom have domestic air conditioning installed; and in what proportion of homes it is estimated under current projections of growth systems will have been installed by (a) 2010, (b) 2020 and (c) 2050.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	It is estimated that current indirect (via electricity generation) carbon emissions from air-conditioning in homes are in the range 20 to 80 kT of carbon per year.
	This represents estimated annual electricity consumption of between 195,000 and 780,000 MWh.
	The global warming effect of direct emissions depends on the refrigerants used, and on the proportion emitted to the atmosphere by leakage, during servicing or on disposal. It is estimated that the direct impact of emissions from air-conditioning in homes is the equivalent of between one and seven kT of carbon per year, depending on the assumptions made for these factors.
	There are limited statistics on the number of air-conditioning systems in UK homes, but the figure is believed to be of the order of 500,000. These are much smaller systems than would be found in larger buildings. Many of them are portable units sold over the counter". The annual usage of the systems is also uncertain. Emissions and energy use estimates therefore have a wide range of uncertainty. Estimates of the future stock of air-conditioning in homes, based on continuation of current trends are 2005, 0.5 million; 2010, 0.7 million; 2020, 1.1 million; 2050, 2.3 million. In practice, sales will be affected by the pricing and marketing policies of suppliers, household wealth, weather (including perceptions of climate change) and energy efficiency policy measures.

Air Conditioning

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research (a) has been conducted and (b) planned into the contribution to future climate change emissions made by air conditioning in domestic homes.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	Defra has recently commissioned research to update estimates of direct fluorinated gas historic and projected emissions (1990–2025) from the UK refrigeration and air conditioning sectors. This work, which is still in progress, is being performed under Defra's contract with AEA Technology plc for the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. As part of this study, an assessment will be made as to whether it will be possible to estimate emissions separately for domestic air conditioning units, as at present only a single emission estimate is calculated for a wider equipment category.
	Several measures are in place or under consideration to address indirect emissions, which arise through electricity consumption:
	Reducing cooling need.
	Building regulations already include requirements aimed at limiting overheating in new housing. These are currently being reviewed as part of the general revision of the Regulations;
	Encouraging the use of efficient equipment.
	Domestic air-conditioners are required to carry energy performance labels. (Mandatory minimum performance standards exist outside Europe, but not within the EU). Ways of including air-conditioning energy use within the Government's Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) are being investigated. SAP defines the energy performance of a dwelling for Building Regulations purposes and for the building energy performance certification required by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive;
	Encouraging wise use.
	Energy consumption can be affected greatly by the way in which users operate systems but there is little empirical information on actual use. Field measurements of the annual usage of domestic air-conditioning are in progress at University College, London.

British Summer Time

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the merits of extending British Summer Time in England and Wales so that it remains in force all year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 6 June 2005
	As there is not a clear public desire for any particular change, I am not persuaded that a change to our existing arrangements would be in the best interests of the UK.

British Summer Time

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations have been received on British Summer Time by his office during thepast five years; and how many of these were in favour of continuing British Summer Time throughout the year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 6 June 2005
	The Department receives representations on British Summer Time from time-to-time. These reflect the divergence of opinion that exists on this issue and indicate that there is no clear public desire for any particular change.

Business Support (Hertfordshire)

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to encourage the (a) establishment and (b) growth of small and medium enterprises in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The Department for Trade and Industry sponsors the East of England Development Agency (BEDA) to develop and pursue a Regional Economic Strategy and contribute to achievement of the Government's Public Service Agreement targets. EEDA provides funding for Hertfordshire Business Link and Hertfordshire Economic Partnership to help existing businesses to grow and new businesses to be created.
	An extensive range of support and services is provided including the provision of business information, helping clients access and secure appropriate finance, supporting businesses with people issues and building managerial capacity.
	Other support includes helping clients embrace technology, overcoming technical/manufacturing issues and securing new customers particularly in overseas markets.

Business Support (Hertfordshire)

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is taking to encourage (a) national and (b) international investment in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The Department for Trade and Industry sponsors the East of England Development Agency (BEDA) to develop and pursue a Regional Economic Strategy and contribute to achievement of the Government's Public Service Agreement targets. EEDA supports national and international investment in Hertfordshire both directly and through funding the activities of other agencies, working in partnership with UK Trade and Investment.
	EEDA provides grants directly to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises for research and development.
	EEDA also provides funding to the following:
	East of England International (EEI) which identifies and attracts global mobile projects to invest in the East of England and also provides support to existing foreign owned businesses in the region. In the seven years since the inward investment agency was established it has secured 34 foreign inward investment successes for the county.
	Hertfordshire Future which provides a range of services for foreign owned businesses in Hertfordshire to complement EEFs activities.
	The Hertfordshire Business Incubation Centre, which is creating new businesses through spin-offs from academia and the larger technology based businesses.

Correspondence

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what legal advice was sought over the implications of the undated UDM letter, reference CNW/REG/VWF, faxed to his Department on 24 May by the hon. Member for Bassetlaw, when the letter was first seen by his Department.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 6 June 2005
	When the letter (Ref: CNW/REG/VWF) was first brought to its attention in December 1999 the Department sought legal advice from its external lawyers advising in relation to the VWF Scheme. The advice received was that further inquiries should be made before a decision as to what action to take was made. Having received that advice further inquiries were undertaken of the UDM. The UDM assured the Department that the letter related to a very limited number of Claimants who were part of a pilot group who had, for operational reasons and with the agreement of the DTI, undertaken the VWF MAP report process twice. The UDM acknowledged that it had been wrong to issue the letter and gave the Department assurances both as to its limited use and its unconditional withdrawal. The Department also made inquiries of its Claims Handlers at the time in relation to the cases affected having received the UDM's explanation and having reconsidered the advice from its legal advisers in the light of the information received from its Claims Handlers the Department chose to take no immediate action either against the UDM or any individual Claimant, but to keep under very close review the potential for the coaching of claimants.

Correspondence

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department received the letter from the Union of Democratic Mineworkers, reference cnw/reg/vwf; and what response was made to the letter.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 6 June 2005
	The Department was passed a copy of the letter in December 1999. Subsequently we wrote to the UDM who assured the Department that only 41 claimants had received copies of the letter. This cohort of claimants had undergone a Medical Assessment Process (MAP) examination for Vibration White Finger but because the UDM had raised concerns about a particular consultant they asked for 41 claimants seen by this consultant to undergo a second MAP examination. It was in between these two examinations that the letter was sent. The Department's claims handlers reviewed all 41 claims and they considered that the letter had had no impact on the results of the examinations.

Energy Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure that officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are invited to comment on policy advice he receives from his officials on energy matters; and if he will ensure that such comments are made available to him on a regular basis.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 6 June 2005
	Energy matters are discussed by Ministers and officials regularly, in particular through the sustainable energy policy network, whose ministerial group oversees the delivery of the Energy White Paper commitments. The group is jointly chaired by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

European Law

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effects of ECJ ruling C-88/04, 2005/C 45/21, OJ C45 of 19 February 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The judgment of the European Court of Justice in case C-88/04 concerns non-implementation in Gibraltar of Directive 2001/29/EC on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society. The Government's response to the ruling foreshadowed implementation in Gibraltar early in 2005 and the European Commission has since been notified of the entry into force of this legislation. The Directive was implemented in the United Kingdom by Statutory Instrument (2003) No. 2498 which came into force on 31 October 2003 (The Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003).

Export Control Advisory Committee

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which (a) companies, (b) organisations and (c) trade associations are represented on the Export Control Advisory Committee.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 May 2005
	The CBI; NEC UK; Engineering Employers Federation; UK Steel; the Defence Manufacturers' Association; the Society of British Aerospace Companies Ltd.; GAMBICA; Chemical Industries Association; Manufacturing Technologies Association; the Defence Industries Council; Intellect (Federation of Electronic Industries); the Gun Trade Association; UK Universities; the Royal Society; the UK Industrial Space Committee; the British Chambers of Commerce; and the Export Group for Aerospace and Defence (EGAD). Also, DTI, MOD, FCO, DfID and HM Revenue and Customs.

Export Control Organisation

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what functions of the Export Control Organisation have been (a) identified as suitable and (b) confirmed for private sector partner involvement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 May 2005
	The Department is still considering the options and no decisions have been taken on which functions, if any, might involve private sector partners.

Media Distribution

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on new arrangements for distribution of newspapers and magazines to retailers and consumers under the proposals announced by the Office of Fair Trading.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is for the companies concerned to make decisions about what distribution arrangements they put in place for the supply of newspapers and magazines. I hope the work undertaken by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to consider the compatibility with competition law of current arrangements for the distribution of newspapers and magazines will help those companies ensure their arrangements comply with the law. The OFT's findings on this matter were announced in February and have now been published in detail as a draft advisory opinion. Substantive observations on OFT's draft advisory opinion should be submitted to OFT by 17 June 2005.

Miners' Compensation

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the process by which deadlines are set for correspondence handling by Capita as contractors in handling coal health claims.

Malcolm Wicks: Deadlines for correspondence handling by the Department's coal health claims handling contractor are part of the service specification in the contract with Capita. Correspondence is generally required to be answered within 10 working days.

Nuclear Industry

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much and what percentage of public expenditure on energy research and development was spent on research and development for (a) nuclear fission, (b) nuclear fusion, (c) fossil fuel generation and(d) renewable energy sources in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 23 May 2005
	The table sets out the expenditure of the DTI and research councils on research and development for nuclear fission, fusion, fossil fuel generation and renewables between 1997–98 and 2004–05.
	
		
			 £million 
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05(3) 
		
		
			 Nuclear fission 1.04 1.68 2.56 0.13 2.32 2.41 2.31 2.32 
			 Nuclear fusion 16.6 12.6 14.3 17.0 14.4 14.6 15.63 19.53 
			 Fossil fuel generation 3.43 3.0 2.61 4.85 5.52 4.35 6.25 8.13 
			 Renewable energy(4) 13.7 15.0 14.39 15.46 18.82 24.40 29.07 25.16 
			 Other(5) 1.73 1.87 2.00 2.07 2.27 2.65 1.97 4.86 
		
	
	(3) Estimated spend with some elements not included
	(4) Includes full range of renewables and also Research Council spend on carbon capture, energy storage and networks
	(5) Includes energy efficiency
	In addition further research relating to energy is included in the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research which has some £310 million funding from research councils over 2000–05, and in the work of the Carbon Trust. The UK also participates in international collaborative energy research via the EU and the International Energy Agency.

Nuclear Industry

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many potential threats as defined by the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 have occurred at each licensed nuclear installation since 1 January 2004.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 do not define potential threats. Section 10 of the regulations requires the reporting of security incidents: details of those incidents reported to the Office for Civil Nuclear Security for 2004 are at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/about/foi/documents/ocns.pdf

DEFENCE

Aldermaston

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the relationship is between the new building programme at the AWRE Aldermaston and the next generation British nuclear weapons.

Adam Ingram: Developments at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston are consistent with the policy set out in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and in the December 2003 Defence White Paper (Cm 6041–1). Such developments include the sustainment of the capabilities necessary to meet safety, environmental and operational requirements and to keep open options in respect of any decision on whether or not to replace Trident.

Armed Forces (Recruitment)

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on recruitment rates to the armed forces.

Don Touhig: Over the last three years armed forces recruitment has been buoyant. In financial year 2004–05 there were 17,560 new entrants. This represented 96 per cent. of the overall armed forces recruiting target for the financial year.

Detainees (Treatment)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what legal advice the Government have taken concerning the obligations of intelligence personnel to report abuse of detainees in US custody;
	(2)  what legal advice the Government have taken concerning the obligations of intelligence personnel (a) to report and (b) to intervene to stop breaches of the Geneva Conventions at US interrogation facilities.

Adam Ingram: As a matter of policy, any such breaches witnessed by United Kingdom personnel would be reported through the UK chain of command to the US chain of command, at the appropriate level. Legal advice informing this policy is subject to legal privilege.
	United Kingdom defence intelligence personnel are required to report any such breaches through the UK chain of command to the US chain of command, at the appropriate level. Legal advice informing this policy is subject to legal privilege.

Forces Personnel Reductions

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it remains the policy of his Department to implement all the reductions in the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force announced prior to the 2005 general election.

Adam Ingram: Yes. The 'Future Capabilities' Command Paper, published last July, set out the changes we will make to both force structures and capabilities.

Life-expired Ordnance

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what precautions his Department takes to ensure that life-expired ordnance transported by rail and road to Shoeburyness for demolition is not exposed to the possibility of detonation by terrorist or other criminal attack.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 June 2005
	During the carriage by road and rail of life expired ordnance, the Ministry of Defence fully complies with the safety and security requirements of SI 2004 No. 568 (The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004 (The Carriage Regulations)), Regulations Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) and The European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR). Additional security measures assessed to the level of threat are also imposed.
	It is not MOD policy to declare the specific details of security arrangements imposed during the carriage of life expired ordnance.

Nepal

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK Government intend to resume military assistance to Nepal.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 June 2005
	I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement issued by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 25 May 2005, Official Report, column 17WS, which, interalia, refers to the departmental minute laid by this Department regarding the intended resumption of military assistance to Nepal.

Project Connaught

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects work to begin on the re-provisioning of military facilities in Aldershot under Project Connaught.

Don Touhig: Contract negotiations are proceeding with Aspire, the Preferred Bidder for Project Allenby/Connaught. On current plans we would expect construction in Aldershot to start early in 2006.

Scottish Infantry Regiments

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has undertaken a review of the proposed mergers of the Scottish infantry regiments since taking up his position.

Adam Ingram: No. The changes to the infantry announced by the previous Defence Secretary last year are part of a wider restructuring of the Army. These changes represent the right way forward for the Army; they will make it more robust and resilient, and better able to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

Service Personnel (General Election)

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the UK armed forces were stationed in Iraq during the general election; and how many were provided with (a) proxy and (b) postal votes.

Don Touhig: There were approximately 9300 1 service personnel in Iraq, or overseas in support of operations in Iraq, on land and at sea, in May 2005. It is not possible to determine how many service personnel used a proxy to exercise their vote and how many applied for and used a postal vote.
	1 Rounded to the nearest 100.

Territorial Army

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many Territorial Army soldiers mobilised under section (a) 54 and (b) 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 since 1 March 2003 have not been deployed to an overseas operational theatre;
	(2)  how many Territorial Army soldiers have been mobilised under section (a) 52, (b) 54 and (c) 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 since 1 March 2003;
	(3)  whether it is his policy to mobilise members of the Territorial Army under sections 54 or 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to occupy United Kingdom-based posts left vacant by members of the regular Army on operational services overseas.

Don Touhig: I can confirm that since 1 March 2003: there have been no Territorial Army (TA) soldiers mobilised under Section 52 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996; some 500 TA soldiers have been mobilised under Section 56; and some 9,820 TA soldiers have been mobilised under Section 54. Of the soldiers mobilised under Section 54, some 290 personnel have not deployed to operational theatres and these include: enablers at the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre; unit and welfare support staff, who provide a vital liaison role in the home bases of TA units, whose members have been mobilised and deployed; movement control specialists at the Air and Sea Ports of embarkation; Intelligence Analysts; staff officers working in direct support of operations but based in the United Kingdom, and Royal Engineers providing Explosive Ordnance Disposal support in the UK. In addition, it is possible for individuals to be mobilised to fill posts left vacant by members of the regular Army serving on operations. However, in general it is our policy to use Reservists contracted on Full Time Reserve Service terms to fill such posts.

Tomahawk Missiles

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the practicability of (a) fitting and (b) retro-fitting Type 45 destroyers with tactical Tomahawk missiles.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Procurement Agency conducted an assessment in 2004 of the potential to fit tactical Tomahawk missiles to the Type 45 destroyer. This assessment was one of a number carried out from time to time to consider alternative options for delivering best value military capability. Although this assessment confirmed the practicability of either fitting or retro-fitting Tomahawk missiles it remains the position that there is currently no requirement for the Type 45 to be fitted with them.

Trident

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it remains his policy that the decision to replace Trident with the next generation of the strategic nuclear deterrent will be taken before the end of this Parliament.

John Reid: The December 2003 Defence White Paper (Cm 6041, paragraph 3.11) indicated that it was likely that decisions on whether to replace Trident would be needed during this Parliament. As I said on 18 May 2005 during the Foreign Affairs and Defence Debate on the Gracious Speech, Official Report, column 247, that continues to be the case.

Trident

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preliminary assessments his Department has made of the relative merits of (a) extending the life of Trident and (b) replacing Trident with an entirely new system.

John Reid: We have previously made clear that, in advance of decisions on whether to replace Trident, which are likely to be needed in this Parliament, we will continue to take appropriate steps to ensure that the range of options for maintaining a nuclear deterrent capability is kept open. We have not yet made an assessment of the relative merits of such options. We previously indicated on 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 358W, that we routinely undertake studies into the optimum operational life of key defence capabilities, including the Trident system, and that these have included concept studies on options for platforms to carry the Trident missile in the longer term.

TREASURY

Block Grant (Wales)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum has been reported to Her Majesty's Treasury as total public expenditure within the assigned budget by the (a) former Welsh Office and (b) National Assembly for Wales in each year since 1997, for the purposes of assessing the block grant for Wales under the Barnett formula.

Des Browne: Details of calculation of the block grant payable to the Welsh Assembly Government and its relationship with Total Managed Expenditure in Wales can be found in the Wales Office Annual Report.

Customs and Excise

Alan Beith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made in the duties carried out by the Customs and Excise officer in Berwick-upon-Tweed in respect of (a) customs duties and (b) immigration; and where that officer is to be based.

Dawn Primarolo: The Revenue and Customs officer based in Berwick did, until recently, spend approximately one third of his time on customs work, including some agency work on behalf of the immigration service.
	The nature of this work has changed in recent years and over 90 per cent. of customs clearance at the frontier now takes place immediately, thanks to the very large increase in electronic trading. Fiscal control is increasingly carried out by inland audit. general customs detection activity in the Berwick area is intelligence led, according to risk, and this activity is now covered by a flexible team based in Newcastle, who are also responsible for mandatory examinations.
	There were a number of meetings with the trade to explain the changes and resolve early teething problems, including one in February 2005 attended by trade representatives from Berwick-upon-Tweed.
	Revenue and Customs are entering discussions with the immigration service, who will need to make alternative arrangements to cover their activities in Berwick.
	The Custom House at Berwick closes on 21 June 2005. The officer has been provided with facilities in Revenue and Customs' building in Alnwick. Following the changes in duties outlined above, the officer will be working on taxation (VAT) duties, supporting the trading population in the area (this work has in fact been a considerable proportion of his duties for the last 12 months).

Millionaires

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons are taxed on the basis of incomes of over £1 million a year before allowances; and how many were taxed at that level on that basis in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 6 June 2005
	The information is given in the table as follows:
	
		Number of taxpayers with total income of at least £1 million
		
			  Number: thousand 
			  Income taxpayers 
		
		
			 1995–96(6) 0.7 
			 1996–97(6) 2 
			 1997–98(6) 2 
			 1998–99(6) 3 
			 1999–2000(6) 3 
			 2000–01(6) 5 
			 2001–02(6) 5 
			 2002–03(6) 4 
			 2003–04(7) 4 
			 2004–05(7) 5 
			 2005–06(7) 6 
		
	
	(6) Estimates based on Survey of Personal Incomes
	(7) Estimates based on the 2002–03 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward in line with Budget 2005 assumptions.

Tax credits (Birmingham)

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many non-pensioner families in Birmingham were recipients of tax credits in the last three years; and how many have been identified as having received overpayments.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 6 June 2005
	The information requested on non-pensioner families is not available. HMRC statistical publications show estimates of the number of in-work families in each region, local authority and constituency with tax credits awards at selected dates since July 2003. They also show estimates of the number of 2003–04 awards to families in each such area, and the number of these that were overpaid at 5 April 2004 after finalisation. The estimates are based on samples and are subject to significant sampling uncertainty. The publications can be found on the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Academic Boycotts

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hertsmere of 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 5W, on Academic Boycott (Israel), what mechanisms the Government have used to make clear their opposition to academic boycotts; and whether these have included discussions with individual academics.

Bill Rammell: We have most recently stated our opposition to academic boycotts, via press releases from Dr. Howells, the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Government have not engaged in discussions with individual academics on this matter.

Action Zones (Pupil Achievement)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what evaluation has been carried out on the impact of (a) education action zones and (b) Excellence in Cities action zones on (i) social or economic disadvantage in the area, (ii) levels of pupil achievement, (iii) unauthorised absence and (iv) exclusion;
	(2)  what independent research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on education action zones and excellence in cities action zones.

Jacqui Smith: A number of DfES commissioned research papers and reports have been published about the progress and impact of education action zones—both statutory and in Excellence in Cities areas:
	Evidence of progress—an independent review of activities in Education Action Zones". Published in February 2002. The review was carried out by the Centre for Education Leadership and School Improvement (CELSI), Canterbury Christ Church University College, Kent. The report is available through the CELSI website.
	Education Action Zones: Commentary on the first six Zone Inspections". Ofsted report published 5 March 2001—available on the Ofsted website.
	Education Action Zones: Tackling difficult issues in round 2 zones". Ofsted report (HMI no. 1711) published 2 October 2003—available on the Ofsted website.
	Excellence in Cities and Education Action Zones: Management and Impact". Ofsted report (HMI 1399) published 2 June 2003—available on Ofsted website.
	In addition the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) is presently in the final stages of preparing an evaluation of the Excellence in Cities programme which will be published later this year. The evaluation commenced in September 2000. An interim Partnerships within Excellence in Cities Action Zones" paper was presented in October 2003 and is available on the NFER website: www.nfer.ac.uk/publications.

Autism

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding her Department has provided to improve education of people with autism in each of the last five years; what plans she has to increase this amount; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Funding to provide for the education of disabled children and adults is made available to statutory bodies within general budgets and is not broken down by individual type of disability. For example, over £3.5 billion was spent in 2003–04 from local authority and school budgets in meeting children's special educational needs (SEN), including those with autism, and the estimated outturn for 2004–05 is £3.8 billion.
	It is for statutory bodies to use the funding available to them to improve educational provision for disabled children and adults. In 2002 the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department of Health published Good Practice Guidance on Autistic Spectrum Disorders to help schools, local authorities and others improve their autism provision. Nine of the 11 DfES-funded SEN regional partnerships, including the south west, have autism working groups and are using the guidance and other resources to spread good practice in autism provision.

Bullying

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the incidence of bullying in schools that makes use of mobile phone technology, with particular reference to happy slapping;
	(2)  what guidance has been issued by her Department on the use of a no blame approach to bullying;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the no blame approach on (a) bullying and (b) the experience of the victim;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the escalation of bullying into other forms of antisocial behaviour;
	(5)  which anti-bullying groups her Department supports financially; and what the level of that support was in 2004;
	(6)  which voluntary and community sector organisations the Department included in discussions in formulation of its school anti-bullying policies;
	(7)  if she will list departmental programmes aimed at combating bullying; what the cost of each programme is expected to be over its lifetime; and if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of each;
	(8)  what the cost of hosting the regional and national conferences on bullying was; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of regional and national conferences hosted by her Department on combating bullying in terms of spreading best practice.

Jacqui Smith: Tackling bullying in all its forms is an issue which is taken seriously by the Department. No child should have to suffer the pain and indignity of bullying. Protecting children from fear and intimidation is a pre-requisite of raising school standards. Creating an environment where bullying is not tolerated is integral to good discipline; it is central to a strong school ethos and will help to ensure we can support every child to fulfil their potential.
	There has been no national assessment made of incidences of bullying in schools involving the use of mobile phones and in particular happy slapping. However part of the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) remit under the funding provided by the Department is to develop innovative and practical approaches to tackling bullying, including the modern menace of bullying by text messaging. Bullying by text messages on mobile phones is also referred to in our guidance pack for schools 'Don't suffer in Silence'.
	Departmental guidance on bullying does not refer to the use of an approach with the title no blame". There has not been an assessment of its effectiveness. Don't Suffer In Silence", the DfES guidance, describes a range of possible approaches for schools to use, including the support group approach. The key features of this approach are demonstrating to the learners who have been bullying a child the harmful impact of their words and actions, and involving the learners who have been bullying in putting matters right for the child who has suffered.
	There has been no formal assessment of the escalation of bullying into other forms of antisocial behaviour.
	In the 2004–05 financial year the Diana Award received £50,000, ChildLine in Partnership in Schools (CHIPS) £164,000, Parentline Plus 193,000 and the ABA £480,000.
	There are many voluntary sector and community groups included in discussions including Act Against Bullying, Actionwork, Action for Inclusion, Beat Bullying, Bullying Online, Bullywatch, ChildLine, Children's Legal Centre, Children's Society in Rochdale, Commission for Racial Equality, ContinYou, Coram Family, Council for Disabled Children, Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH), Kidscape, National Children's Bureau, NCH, NSPCC, Parentline Plus, Safer Custody Group, Save the Children, School's Out!, SCOPE, Stonewall UK, Observatory for the Promotion of Non-violence, Young Minds, Young Transnet, Young Voice, YWCA England and Wales, Barnardos, The Circle Works, Diana Award, Bully Free Zone, Children are Unbeatable, PUPILINE, Shakti Imani Inclusion Project, The 1990 Trust, Muslim Liaison Committee, Muslim Council of Britain, Bradford Council of Mosques, Lancashire Council of Mosques, An-Nisa Society, Birmingham Central Mosque, Forum against Islamophobia and Racism, Imams and Mosques Council, Islamic Foundation (Leicester), Islamic Cultural Centre, Islamic Human Rights Commission, Islamic Society of Britain, The IQRA Trust, The Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony and the Churches' Commission on Racial Justice.
	Work to support parents, schools and local authorities is carried out in our anti-bullying funded programmes referred to above. These programmes are delivered on our behalf by voluntary sector organisations.
	In answer to the question on the regional and national conferences on bullying—the costs of those conferences from 2003–05 was approximately £1 million. The conferences were a significant success. Evaluations for the London conference were 100 per cent. positive, and for the series overall 97 per cent. positive. Evaluations judged that the conferences had been highly effective in spreading best practice.

Bullying

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the link between bullying and (a) truancy, (b) exclusions, (c) participation in (i) further and (ii) higher education and (d) the incidence of self-harm and suicide in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect data on the prevalence of bullying and the impact that it has on truancy, exclusions, participation in further or higher education and the incidence of self-harm and suicide.
	We know from research that bullying puts the emotional well-being and educational achievement of pupils at risk and has a significant and lasting negative impact upon children's lives. This is why the Department is committed to helping schools to prevent and combat bullying.
	To help schools tackle bullying, the Department has issued guidance in the Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence" pack and in the Stand up for us: challenging homophobia in schools" guidance. We have also commissioned various pieces of research to look at effective ways of tackling bullying from children and young people's points of view, launched an anti-bullying charter and in July 2004 funded a national alliance to tackle bullying to tackle bullying to carry forward the momentum of the work of the Make the Difference series of ministerial conferences.

Bullying

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which cross-departmental working groups attended by her Department deal with issues affecting bullying and antisocial behaviour; and which other departments are involved in each case.

Jacqui Smith: DfES both leads and attends a number of cross-government groups who are concerned with the prevention of all negative outcomes for children and young people, including those addressing issues of bullying and antisocial behaviour. In particular, these issues are among those discussed by the Department for Education and Skills' Change for Children Programme Board which includes the Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department of Health, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Treasury and the Youth Justice Board.
	Home Office, the Youth Justice Board and the Department for Education and Skills are also core members of other groups which have a more specific focus on offending including offending by young people, antisocial behaviour and bullying. These are the Youth Crime Programme Board, the Crime Reduction Delivery Board, the Penalty Notices for Disorder operational working group, the Prolific and Other Priority Offenders Programme Board and the Safer Schools Partnership steering group.
	Other departments who are represented on some or all of these groups include: Department for Constitutional Affairs, Department for Work and Pensions, the Crown Prosecution Service and Government Offices for the Regions.

Bullying

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of links between low levels of literacy and (a) bullying, (b) poor behaviour and (c) truancy.

Jacqui Smith: From published research and our own statistics we are aware that there are links between bullying, poor behaviour and high levels of absence from school and low attainment, which is why this Government have made tackling bullying and low-level disruptive behaviour in schools, and tackling truancy from school, a priority.

Disabled Children

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for the education of disabled children.

Maria Eagle: The Government's plans for education demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential, including disabled children. The reforms set out in the Department's Five-Year Strategy and Every Child Matters Change for Children Programme aim to help all children, including disabled children, to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and achieve economic well-being.
	The range of measures we are taking through Removing Barriers to Achievement", our special educational needs strategy, will help to build the capacity of all early education settings and schools to meet the needs of disabled children and children with SEN throughout their education. Specifically, we are working with the Disability Rights Commission and the Council for Disabled Children to provide schools with practical tools to improve their effectiveness in making reasonable adjustments to include disabled pupils and in reviewing and revising their plans for increasing access for disabled pupils to school premises and facilities, to the curriculum, and to information in alternative formats.
	Under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, public bodies, including schools, will also have a duty to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. This will help them to secure improved outcomes for disabled people—as employees, as service users and as pupils and students.

Gershon Review

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of staff who have left the Department as part of the implementation of the Gershon Review (a) has taken (i) voluntary and (ii) compulsory redundancy and (b) has been transferred to employment in a non-departmental public body.

Bill Rammell: As part of DfES's reform programme, which contributes to the savings identified in the 'Gershon Review', the Department plans to reduce in size by 1,460 posts by April 2008 without recourse to compulsory redundancies. The Department has so far reduced by 714 posts.
	360 people have left the Department through a voluntary early release scheme and seven have transferred to employment in a non-departmental public body. Normal turnover accounts for the remainder of the reductions.

Gershon Review

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in implementing the proposals of the Gershon Review as they affect her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: My Department has made good progress to date and is on track to deliver annual efficiency gains of £4.3 billion by 2007–08. Details about how we propose to make our gains are set out in our efficiency technical note available on my Department's website. Much of this is in the schools sector, for example by measures designed to release teachers from tasks that take them away from teaching, through better procurement practices, and by better regulation.

Gifted Pupils

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent research she has collated into the performance of gifted pupils at state schools with particular reference to the performance of children in Key Stage 2 tests.

Jacqui Smith: We have received a preliminary analysis from the Specialist Schools Trust examining the GCSE performance of the 5 per cent. of pupils achieving the highest raw marks on Key Stage 2 tests in English and mathematics. The analysis suggests that pupils at those comprehensive schools where there are relatively large numbers from this population achieve a higher average number of GCSEs at grades A*/A than pupils at selective schools.

Level 2 Qualifications

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what resources she has allocated in the 2005–06 financial year to assist further education colleges to identify adults without a Level 2 qualification to receive free tuition;
	(2)  what resources she has provided in the 2005–06 financial year to ensure that more adults of working age achieve a first full Level 2 by 2010.

Bill Rammell: My Department's grant letter of 15 November 2004 to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) allocated a total of £6.7 billion for learning participation in 2005–06. The letter reiterated our key priorities for 2005–06 to meet the needs of young people, those lacking literacy, numeracy and English Language skills and those seeking a first full Level 2 qualification.
	No new resources have been allocated specifically for Level 2 entitlement. The LSC allocates funds to providers based upon agreed development plans that deliver our priorities, and will consider Level 2 entitlement as part of this process.

Looked-after Children

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what strategies her Department has introduced for looked-after children who display (a) poor behaviour in school and (b) antisocial behaviour.

Jacqui Smith: Through the Children Act 2004, the Government are introducing a new duty on local authorities, with effect from 1 July 2005, to promote the educational achievement of looked-after children. We are currently consulting on statutory guidance, building on existing guidance published in 2000, which will set out what steps local authorities should take to fulfill this duty, including the importance of working effectively with schools.
	This autumn we shall also be publishing a guidance document on looked-after children for school governors which will include advice on a range of specific issues, including behaviour.
	The national standards which apply to children's homes and fostering services are designed to ensure that looked-after children develop socially acceptable behaviour and attend school regularly. In 2004 we introduced parenting contracts and parenting orders for behaviour, which can be applied to foster parents of looked-after children.
	The Government have funded the National Association for the Care and Re-settlement of Offenders to develop a good practice handbook for children's services and youth offending teams on reducing offending by looked-after children, which is due to be published shortly.
	More generally, we are implementing a wide-ranging programme to improve the behaviour of all school pupils. This includes behaviour management training materials for school staff, advice from expert behaviour consultants, curriculum materials to help schools develop pupils' social, emotional and behavioural skills and extra resources for learning mentors, learning support units and multi-agency teams to support schools and pupils with the greatest need.

Pupil Behaviour

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the effect of parenting orders on pupil behaviour.

Jacqui Smith: Research on the impact of parenting programmes undertaken in 2002 for the Youth Justice Board showed that they have a positive impact both on young people's perception of their parents and on their behaviour.
	Statistically significant positive changes were reported in parenting skills and competencies by the time parents left their programmes.
	Court ordered parents benefited just as much as voluntary participants.
	In the year prior to the parenting programme, 89 per cent. of the young people had been convicted of an offence. In the year after, this had dropped to 61.5 per cent.—a reduction of nearly one third.
	On average, in the year before the programme, the young people committed 4.4 offences. This reduced to 2.1 in the following year, a 50 per cent. reduction. So, fewer young people offended, and those that did offend, offended less often.
	These findings indicate that parenting orders can have a beneficial effect on the behaviour of the young person.

Pupil Behaviour

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the effect of acceptable behaviour contracts on pupil behaviour.

Jacqui Smith: None. Acceptable behaviour contracts are general measures used by the police to improve the behaviour of young people. They can be used in a school setting but they are not exclusive to schools. Schools have a range of measures to help them manage pupil behaviour including Pastoral Support Programmes which identify precise and realistic behavioural outcomes for the child to work towards and Parenting Contracts where the LEA or school governing body considers that parenting is a factor in the truancy or behaviour of the child and where the parent appears to be in need of (and willing to accept) support.

Pupil Behaviour

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will encourage registration by children with behavioural difficulties at both a school and a pupil referral unit to enable such children get specialist support for behavioural difficulties.

Jacqui Smith: I believe that decisions on how to address the needs of pupils with behavioural difficulties are best made locally depending on the particular circumstances of individual pupils. Some pupils are educated both at their school and at a pupil referral unit.
	Guidance issued in October 2004 about 'Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units' sets out various options and measures that are available to meet the needs of pupils who are at risk of exclusion including, where appropriate, placing them in pupil referral units as part of a planned programme.

Pupil Behaviour

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she plans to publish attendance figures at pupil referral units.

Jacqui Smith: We have already given an undertaking to ask local authorities to provide the Department with the relevant data. To this end, we are considering the best way to arrange for the collection and publication of the relevant information.

Run-away Children

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what emergency accommodation provision is in place for children who run away from home; what plans she has to increase these facilities; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Local authorities and their local partner agencies in children's services have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their areas. This includes providing accommodation for any child, where the person caring for them is prevented from providing him/her with suitable accommodation or care.
	For the majority of young people who run away from home it will be in their interests to be provided with support that maintains them in their family network. Given the variety of ways in which children who run away come to official attention, for example outside normal working hours or in emergencies, some young people may require immediate access to overnight accommodation. Usually, the local authority's children's services will be best placed to provide this. However, the Social Exclusion Unit, in its report Young Runaways" (2002) found that runaways may have difficulty accessing emergency overnight accommodation at the point of need.
	For this reason, the Government have provided funding for a two year pilot scheme to develop, evaluate and test out the delivery and costs of flexible community based accommodation for young runaways. Six sites are now operating—in Co. Durham, Liverpool, Leicestershire/Leicester City and Rutland, Bradford, Torquay and London (at the long-established London Refuge). These pilot services have now reached the end of their first year. Government will give careful consideration to the lessons from this pilot programme to inform policy about future services for vulnerable young people who run away from home.

School Meals

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the new vocational qualification for school caterers;
	(2)  how many schools currently participate in the Healthy Schools Programme;
	(3)  what proportion of schools provide drinking water to pupils;
	(4)  what proportion of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools meet current nutritional standards for school meals at lunch time;
	(5)  what proportion of schools provide vegetables and/or fruit on most days; and if she will make a statement;
	(6)  what progress she has made in preparing legislation extending new nutritional based standards to cover food across the school day.

Jacqui Smith: Together with the Food Standards Agency and People 1st, the Department has developed a Vocationally Related Qualification (VRQ) at Level 1 in Healthier Catering. It is currently with awarding bodies to arrange for accreditation by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The qualification should be in place and available for people to start on courses this autumn term. It is intended to give school cooks and caterers the knowledge and skills to deliver a healthier meals service. It has been specifically designed for staff involved in the preparation and service of school meals and it will enable school caterers to improve pupil nutritional intake from all food provided by the school meals service. It will ensure that everyone in the school kitchen aspires to the same high standards.
	15,791 schools are currently participating in the Healthy Schools Programme. We currently targeting all schools with a 20 per cent. or more free school meals entitlement and aim to recruit the remainder of schools to the programme by 2009.
	DfES does not collect data on the proportion of schools that provide drinking water to pupils. Regulations require all local authority maintained schools in England to have a wholesome supply of water for domestic purposes, including drinking water. However, it is for local education authorities, governors and schools to decide how and when drinking water should be made available to pupils.
	Guidance produced by this Department advises caterers on meeting the requirements of the Government's nutritional standards for school lunches and recommends that drinking water should be made available to all pupils every day, free of charge. In addition, the Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools document suggests that all pupils should have access to drinking water at all times at a number of points around the school, preferably not from taps in toilets. The guidance also suggests that pupils should be permitted to carry water with them and consumption encouraged both in class and during break and lunchtime.
	DfES does not routinely collect data on schools adherence to statutory school lunch nutritional standards. The responsibility for ensuring that the standards are met rests with local education authorities or, where the budget for school lunches is delegated to them, a school's governing body. Ultimately, the Secretary of State can direct a school to meet the standards where she considers they are failing to do so.
	As part of the package aimed at improving school lunches, we are looking at a number of ways to strengthen the monitoring of school food:
	From September 2005, every school inspection will include an assessment of the school's contribution to the Every Child Matters outcomes. Ofsted will review the quality of school approaches to food as part of their regular school inspections. In addition, Ofsted will be making visits to a number of pilot LEAs and schools in the autumn, working alongside nutritionists to determine the best way to inspect the proposed school meal standards. Once the new standards are in place, Ofsted will sample schools across LEAs to investigate how well they are being used;
	Support for healthy eating will be one aspect of children's services Joint Area Reviews at Local Authority level;
	Additional requirements for local authorities and school governing bodies to monitor the content of school lunches.
	Current minimum school lunch standards require all schools to provide food from the fruit and vegetable group on a daily basis. More specifically, primary schools must ensure that both a fruit and a vegetable are provided on a daily basis; a fruit based desert is available at least twice per week; and fresh fruit, fruit tinned in juice or fruit salad is available every day. In secondary schools two foods from the fruit and vegetable group must be available each day, which must include both a fruit and a vegetable.
	In addition, 16,069, or 97 per cent. of eligible schools (February 2005) benefit daily from the free fruit and vegetables provided by the Government's National School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.
	A School Meals Review Panel has been convened to recommend changes to current school lunch standards. The panel's work is expected to produce new draft school lunch standards for secondary schools in September 2005 and for primary schools soon after, both becoming mandatory in September 2006. Once the school lunch standards have been considered the panel will then set about looking at how the standards could apply to other food and drink on school premises, e.g. vending machines and tuck-shops. Any extended standards will need to be enshrined within regulations as are the current standards.

School Meals

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will list the members of the School Food Trust;
	(2)  if she will list the members of the School Meals Review Panel.

Jacqui Smith: The chair and members of the substantive School Food Trust have not yet been appointed. The posts are currently being advertised and will be filled according to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) guidelines. The appointments will be for a three-year term initially.
	In the meantime an interim School Food Trust was announced on 16 May. It comprises Suzi Leather as interim chair, supported by chef and school food consultant Rob Rees and headteacher Chris Dean. The interim Trust is now working to develop the full Trust which will become operational later this year.
	The School Food Trust will draw together representatives from the food industry, caterers, nutritionists, food interest groups, schools and parents. It will play a key role in taking forward the Government's programme for improving school food. It will give independent support and advice to schools and parents to improve the standard of school meals and ensure that the issue of school food remains high on the agenda.
	The remit of the separate School Meals Review Panel is to advise the Government on how best to meet their commitment in the Public Health White Paper to improve school food, through the revision of current school meals standards. The panel's work is expected to produce new draft school lunch standards for secondary schools in September 2005 and for primary soon after, both becoming mandatory in September 2006.
	The members of the School Meals Review Panel are as follows:
	Suzi Leather—Chair
	Joe Harvey—Health Education Trust
	Gina Birley—Governor, St. Martin in the Fields school
	Keith Sorrell—Headteacher, Windsor high school
	Peter Shepherd—Headteacher, Canon Slade School (unable to participate—illness)
	Joan McVittie—Headteacher, Leytonstone School
	Christine Lewis—National Officer, UNISON
	David Butler—National Confederation of PTAs
	Sue Davies—Freelance Nutrition Expert
	Ashley Riley—Child Poverty Action Group
	John Caperon—Headteacher, Memorial Diocesan School, Tunbridge Wells
	Beverley Baker—Local Authority Caterers' Association
	Gaynor Bussell—Food and Drink Federation
	David Lucas—School Catering Manager
	Paul Kelly—Compass Group Plc
	Eileen Steinbock—Brake Brothers
	Peter Melchett—Soil Association
	Jenny Poulter—Freelance Nutritionist
	Helen Crawley—Caroline Walker Trust
	Carol Weir—British Dietetic Association
	Sara Stanner (replaced by Judy Buttriss)—British Nutrition Forum
	Mike Nelson—Kings College, London
	Mike Rayner—Dept of Public Health, University of Oxford
	Lynn Stockley—Freelance Nutritionist
	Observers
	Rachel Clements—DH
	Jenny Woolfe/Louis Levy—FSA
	Stuart Miller—DfES
	Penny Jones—DfES
	Catherine Evans/Carol Macmillan—DfES
	Jean Munroe—Scottish Executive, Education
	Gillian Kynoch—Scottish Executive, Health

School Playing Fields

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many school playing fields there were in each London borough in each year since 1992;
	(2)  what percentage of schools in London have access to (a) a swimming pool and (b) playing fields.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not collected or held centrally.

School Playing Fields

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school playing fields have been sold, and for what reasons, in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 6 June 2005
	Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires local authorities and schools to obtain the written consent of the Secretary of State before they can dispose of any part of a school's playing field. Schools are only allowed to dispose of genuinely surplus areas of playing field. All sale proceeds from approved applications are used to provide new or improved sports or education facilities at maintained schools.
	The following table shows the number of applications to sell school playing fields larger than a small sports pitch for the under 10s, that is, larger than 2,000m 2 , that have been approved in each year since 2001. Of a total of 79 approved applications, 31 were at closed or closing school sites. Of the 48 approved applications at operating schools, 33 involved proposals to improve on-site sports facilities, such as new all-weather pitches, sports halls or improved grass sports pitches. In the remaining 15 cases the proceeds were to be used to provide better education facilities at schools, such as new classrooms and performing arts facilities.
	
		
			 Calendar year Approved applications 
		
		
			 2001 22 
			 2002 24 
			 2003 17 
			 2004 14 
			 2005 (to date) 2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The table includes applications to sell school playing fields from local authorities, foundation, voluntary and former grant-maintained schools.
	2. All sale proceeds are used to provide new or improved sports or education facilities at maintained schools.
	3. Sports pitch" means an area of open grassed land which is equal to, or larger than, the Football Association's recommended 2,000m(8) area for games played by under 10s, and which has a configuration making it suitable for sports, whether laid out as a sports pitch or not.

Schools (Hammersmith and Fulham)

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on secondary schools on special measures in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Jacqui Smith: Hurlingham and Chelsea School and Burlington Danes School were both judged by Ofsted to need Special Measures in spring 2004. Both schools are currently implementing agreed action plans to bring about recovery. Ofsted is monitoring each school's progress.

Social Exclusion

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of links between social exclusion and the behavioural problems of children and young people.

Jacqui Smith: Research conducted by and for the Department shows there is a link between social exclusion and behaviour and that there is a complex interaction between risk and protective factors that can lead to the development of antisocial behaviour among children and young people and to later social exclusion. In addition, research suggests that this could be a two-way relationship, with behavioural problems both leading to, and resulting from, social exclusion.
	The Department has commissioned a number of pieces of research to explore these issues in more detail as well as looking at what interventions are effective in reducing the risk of these negative outcomes. Some key examples of this are: Support from the Start: working with young children and their families to reduce the risks of crime and antisocial behaviour", Preventing Children's Involvement in Crime and Anti-social Behaviour: a literature review"; and Offenders of the Future? Assessing the Risk of Children and Young People Becoming Involved in Criminal or Antisocial Behaviour".
	In addition, the Youth Cohort Study shows that pupils' poor behaviour and poor attendance at school are associated with a greater likelihood of not being involved in education, employment or training at ages 16 to 18 and lower attainment at GCSE. The Social Exclusion Unit's Bridging the Gap" report showed that these factors increase the risk of social exclusion. The report also concluded that related risk factors for non-participation in education, employment or training include mental health problems, educational disaffection, use of drugs or alcohol and involvement in criminal/antisocial behaviour.
	These issues are acknowledged in the Green Paper Every Child Matters" and in the development of the Change for Children Programme, signalling the Department's commitment to improving children and young people's outcomes. The Government's aim is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to: be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve through learning, make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic well-being. As part of this the Department is committed to improving behaviour in schools, and has implemented a range of policies (such as the Behaviour Improvement Programme) aimed at tackling the issues of poor behaviour and poor attendance in order to reduce the risk of negative outcomes in later life for young people.

Social Exclusion

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of links between social exclusion and the behavioural problems of children in early years education.

Jacqui Smith: Research evidence, such as my Department's Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) study, shows a link between social deprivation and the risk of poor social and behavioural development in the early years. It is also known from research that good quality pre-school education and child care can have clear positive effects on children's social and emotional development in the early years and into primary school.
	In recognition of the importance of young children starting to develop good social skills in their earliest years of life the Department has a PSA target to (a) improve children's communication, social and emotional development so that, by 2008, 50 per cent. 1 of children reach a good level of development at the end of the Foundation Stage; and (b) to reduce inequalities between the level of development achieved by children in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged areas and the rest of England.
	The Department has also appointed the Institute of Psychology, King's College London to develop a training programme on young children's personal social and emotional development to support the Birth to Three Matters" and Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage" documents.
	1 The proposed target level is provisional. Level to be confirmed when 2005 Foundation Stage Profile results are available.

Teacher Assaults (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers in Coventry have been assaulted by pupils in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not collected centrally.

Tomlinson Inquiry

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost of the Tomlinson Inquiry into 14 to 19 Education was.

Jacqui Smith: The cost of the working group on 14 to 19 reform, chaired by Sir Mike Tomlinson, was some £1.3 million over the 18 months lifetime of the group. In addition, the running costs of the departmental staff supporting the working group amounted to some £400,000.
	The working group did a great deal of valuable work which helped to inform the White Paper, 14 to 19 Education and Skills, published in February and to build consensus on the need for reform.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

106 Agreements

Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will (a) relax the criteria for 106 agreements to enable local authorities greater discretion and (b) require developers of smaller developments in an area to contribute to a common 106 type fund.

Yvette Cooper: It is for local planning authorities to decide whether or not to negotiate a section 106 agreement as part of a proposed development.
	Current policy guidance on the appropriate use of these agreements (also known as planning obligations) is set out in DOE circular 1/97. This gives the general advice that they should be sought only where they are necessary, relevant to planning, directly related to the proposed development, fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the proposed development, and reasonable in all other respects.
	Revised draft guidance was issued for consultation in November 2004 and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will publish the final version later this summer. The new circular will give further advice on the pooling of contributions secured through section 106 agreements.

Broomfield Tip, Standish

Neil Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what grants have been given to Wigan Metropolitan borough council for (a) extinguishing the fire at Broomfield Tip, Standish and (b) the restoration of the site afterwards.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has to-date given grant assistance totalling £479,000 to Wigan Metropolitan borough council towards the costs incurred by the council in dealing with the extinguishment of the underground fire and mineshaft capping at Broomfield Tip, Standish, and the restoration of the site afterwards.

Community Programmes

Brian Iddon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has for the (a) Single Community Programme, (b) Community Chest, (c) Community Learning Chest and (d) Community Empowerment Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The single Community Programme was created in 2004 through the merger of Community Chests, Community Learning Chests and the Community Empowerment Fund. The single Community Programme will operate until the end of the 2005–06 financial year. From 2006–07 these resources will be administered as part of the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund.

Electoral Fraud

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government are taking to combat fraud in the use of postal votes.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government published a policy paper for discussion on 25 May 2005. This covered a range of proposals for enhancing the security of postal voting. I sent the policy paper to all Members and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I also refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 21WS.

Green Belt

Mark Prisk: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many hectares of green belt land there were in (a) Hertfordshire, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Essex, (d) Cambridgeshire, (e) Norfolk and (f) Suffolk in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004.

Yvette Cooper: The Government expect to publish figures updated to 2004 on the extent of, and changes to, the green belt this autumn. The most recent figures available are set out as follows:
	
		
			  Area Hectares 
			 Counties(9) (including unitary councils) 1997 2003 Change 
		
		
			 Hertfordshire 83,660 83,610 -50 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton UA 28,380 28,380 0 
			 Essex, including Southend on Sea UA and  Thurrock UA 97,650 97,810 160 
			 Cambridgeshire 26,690 26,690 0 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 
		
	
	(9) The responsible local planning authority is the 'district' level council. County names refer to geographic counties and not to those administrative bodies.
	Data reproduced after grouping into 'counties'.
	Source:
	Local planning authority, Green Belt statistics: England 2003", published by ODPM on 16 September 2004 at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_planning/documents/page/odpm_plan_031125.hcsp

Highfields Estate (Stafford)

David Kidney: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much capital funding was provided to Stafford borough council in the form of (a) capital grant and (b) borrowing permissions out of the estates action programme for regeneration works on the Highfields estate in Stafford; and what conditions were attached, with particular reference to the neighbourhood office on the estate.

Phil Woolas: The Department of the Environment (DoE), as it was then, allocated a total of £879,000 Estate Action funding for improvements to the Highfields estate in Stafford during the period 1992–95. The allocation was in the form of supplementary credit approvals (borrowing permission) and included £98,000 for provision of a neighbourhood office. There was no grant funding for this programme. The overall conditions relating to the Estate Action funding were:
	The submission of certified returns providing information on progress of the scheme, and actual and projected expenditure, using forms supplied by the DoE; and
	The DoE being satisfied that the scheme progressed satisfactorily in accordance with the proposals approved by the Department and as set out in an agreed memorandum provided by them.
	There were no specific conditions attached to the neighbourhood office.

Homeless Families

Sally Keeble: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many families with children are being accommodated in bed-and-breakfast hostels.

Yvette Cooper: On 31 December 2004, the latest date for which information is available, an estimated 820 households containing dependent children or a pregnant woman were living in bed and breakfast style accommodation in England. This represents 1 per cent. of all households in temporary accommodation, and a decrease of 6,140 households since March 2002. Of these 820 households, 100 had been resident in bed and breakfast for more than six weeks; of these, 36 were housed under local authorities' discretionary powers—for example during a review or appeal—so were not being housed in breach of the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 which came into force on 1 April 2004, to reinforce and sustain the bed-and-breakfast target that no family with children should have to live in a bed-and-breakfast hotel for longer than six weeks by March 2004.
	These figures are included in the latest statistical release on statutory homelessness, published 14 March 2005, available in both the Library of the House and via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website. The next release, for the first quarter of 2005 and presenting the position on usage of temporary accommodation as at 31 March, will be published on 13 June.

Housing

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable housing units built or procured through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and Challenge Fund were classified as (a) mixed funded social rented housing, (b) temporary social rented housing, (c) Homebuy general market purchase, (d) Homebuy general new build, (e) mixed funded low cost home ownership for sale, (f) miscellaneous works to RSL stock, (g) reimprovements to rented RSL stock, (h) works only rehabilitation for rented RSL stock, (i) works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (j) intermediate rent for key workers, (k) Homebuy market purchase for key workers, (l) Homebuy new build for key workers and (m) mixed funded sale for key workers in the Yorkshire and the Humber Region in each year since 1997–98; and how much was spent on each category in each year.

Yvette Cooper: The following tables show completions and expenditure through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme, for categories (a) to (i) . The information in the tables do not include all the programmes that the ADP is used for and therefore does not represent the total funding for the Yorkshire and Humberside region. Other categories with funding during the time period covered by the table are Right to Acquire, Voluntary Purchase Grant, Do-It-Yourself Shared Ownership, and Temporary Intermediate and Market Rent Housing. The Key Worker Living programme was limited to London and the wider south east, so there are no completions or investment in categories (j) to (m) in the Yorkshire and Humber Region through this programme.
	The Challenge Fund was limited to London, south east and eastern regions, therefore there is no Challenge Fund expenditure in Yorkshire and Humberside.
	Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.
	
		ADP completions in units for Yorkshire and Humberside from 1997–98–2004–05
		
			 Units 
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 (a) Mixed funded Social Rent 2202 1567 1654 1448 
			 (b) Temporary Social Housing 284 82 153 96 
			 (c) Homebuy market purchase 0 0 42 25 
			 (d) Homebuy New Build n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (e) Mixed-funded Low Cost Home Ownership 482 467 216 133 
			 (f) Miscellaneous Works n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (g) Re-improvements to rented RSL stock n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (h) Works-only re-hab for rented RSL stock n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (i) Works-only re-hab of RSL stock for sale n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 (a) Mixed funded Social Rent 1511 1214 1196 852 
			 (b) Temporary Social Housing 162 15 102 23 
			 (c) Homebuy market purchase 19 8 14 25 
			 (d) Homebuy New Build n/a n/a n/a 0 
			 (e) Mixed-funded Low Cost Home Ownership 119 92 87 42 
			 (f) Miscellaneous Works n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (g)Re-improvements to rented RSL stock n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (h) Works-only re-hab for rented RSL stock n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (i) Works-only re-hab of RSL stock for sale n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	Notes:
	Categories (f) to (i) do not have complete records of units.
	
		ADP expenditure for Yorkshire and Humberside from 1997–98–2004–05
		
			 £ million 
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 (a) Mixed funded Social Rent 33.25 31.53 37.24 38.42 
			 (b) Temporary Social Housing 1.61 0.00 0.92 1.97 
			 (c) Homebuy market purchase 0.00 0.00 0.34 0.42 
			 (d) Homebuy New Build n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (e) Mixed-funded Low Cost Home Ownership 5.32 5.43 2.51 1.62 
			 (f) Miscellaneous Works 1.73 2.25 0.74 0.99 
			 (g) Re-improvements to rented RSL stock 0.00 0.00 0.30 0.39 
			 (h) Works-only re-hab for rented RSL stock 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.13 
			 (i) Works-only re-hab of RSL stock for sale 0.00 0.00 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 (a) Mixed funded Social Rent 40.97 45.56 56.33 50.65 
			 (b) Temporary Social Housing 1.56 0.59 1.80 0.32 
			 (c) Homebuy market purchase 0.36 0.17 0.39 0.73 
			 (d) Homebuy New Build n/a n/a n/a – 0.00 
			 (e) Mixed-funded Low Cost Home Ownership 1.45 0.65 1.50 3.12 
			 (f) Miscellaneous Works 1.55 1.69 1.35 1.13 
			 (g) Re-improvements to rented RSL stock 0.17 0.10 2.36 3.56 
			 (h) Works-only re-hab for rented RSL stock 1.03 0.20 0.39 0.22 
			 (i) Works-only re-hab of RSL stock for sale n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	Notes:
	Categories (g), (h), and (i) are included in Miscellaneous Works (f) for years 1997–98 and 1998–99.

Housing

John Cummings: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in the last three years in the district of Easington council area.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows:
	(a) A total of 40 affordable homes were started in Easington area in 2004–05; records prior to this year are incomplete.
	(b) The table shows completions through housing corporations approved development programme for 2002–03 to 2004–05 in Easington council area. There were no transitional local social housing grant (TLASHG) completions.
	
		
			  Units completed 
		
		
			 2002–03 12 
			 2003–04 63 
			 2004–05 34 
		
	
	Source:
	Housing Corporation (The table includes new build dwellings, acquisitions and refurbishments).

Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much investment there has been in (a) new council-owned dwellings and (b) housing association dwellings in each London borough in each year since 1997; and how much such investment is planned for 2005–06.

Yvette Cooper: From 1998–99 to 2004–05 four London boroughs built affordable dwellings for rent. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister provides general support towards local authorities' housing capital investment programmes. We are unable to indicate how much each authority chose (or will choose) to spend on these new dwellings and how much on existing stock.
	
		London
		
			 £000 
			  Hillingdon Islington Waltham Forest Wandsworth Total London 
		
		
			 1997–98 7,854 15,084 8,749 13,874 45,561 
			 1998–99 7,464 18,862 11,557 18,006 55,889 
			 1999–2000 7,798 18,150 12,933 16,330 55,211 
			 2000–01 11,481 28,557 22,418 20,832 83,288 
			 2001–02 14,127 38,297 24,982 29,002 106,408 
			 2002–03 13,923 40,237 22,727 26,937 103,824 
			 2003–04 16,022 39,444 18,061 23,973 97,500 
			 2004–05 26,028 41,068 15,565 22,399 105,060 
			 2005–06 27,718 67,243 39,081 22,620 156,662 
		
	
	Government capital investment in housing association dwellings in the same period was as follows:
	
		
			 £000 
			 LA name 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 City of London 3,067 4,093 2,954 5,242 
			 Barking and Dagenham 13,270 6,281 16,853 15,551 
			 Barnet 8,490 12,141 8,328 11,719 
			 Bexley 3,288 6,873 3,839 6,885 
			 Brent 13,010 14,763 20,879 17,914 
			 Bromley 12,354 12,762 9,637 16,892 
			 Camden 20,578 15,786 15,166 14,364 
			 Croydon 17,956 15,325 15,504 20,084 
			 Ealing 13,607 12,020 8,918 11,669 
			 Enfield 5,310 6,205 9,048 20,525 
			 Greenwich 7,155 7,500 8,392 17,117 
			 Hackney 19,710 13,518 15,990 18,325 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 15,587 11,615 6,876 11,726 
			 Haringey 16,459 13,930 12,259 20,804 
			 Harrow 4,627 6,354 4,339 6,005 
			 Havering 2,746 2,245 2,421 3,074 
			 Hillingdon 8,082 8,879 12,626 15,123 
			 Hounslow 7,860 5,366 11,746 8,184 
			 Islington 18,322 14,517 6,023 10,863 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 33,364 13,095 23,917 18,474 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,812 1,947 3,570 5,142 
			 Lambeth 16,645 10,642 16,601 16,183 
			 Lewisham 8,714 12,054 10,589 13,361 
			 Merton 5,243 5,405 5,325 7,782 
			 Newham 10,892 13,949 11,488 19,182 
			 Redbridge 6,484 6,883 7,872 5,583 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,364 4,297 2,374 3,613 
			 Southwark 8,416 9,458 14,744 18,158 
			 Sutton 2,775 2,432 4,778 8,153 
			 Tower Hamlets 18,495 6,617 14,632 17,008 
			 Waltham Forest 9,299 10,547 9,666 20,225 
			 Wandsworth 16,260 10,496 10,651 7,243 
			 Westminster 12,866 28,487 17,229 19,884 
			 London total 369,107 326,482 345,234 432,057 
		
	
	
		
			 LA name 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Forecast 2005–06 
		
		
			 City of London 6,621 8,562 17,937 2,230 3,637 
			 Barking and Dagenham 25,201 28,098 9,782 15,978 15,503 
			 Barnet 8,267 13,439 13,285 14,828 13,633 
			 Bexley 3,956 6,638 7,233 9,030 5,792 
			 Brent 17,540 31,030 25,216 33,439 35,941 
			 Bromley 16,593 18,014 16,920 11,956 9,053 
			 Camden 17,247 20,723 29,905 29,219 11,463 
			 Croydon 24,560 24,186 25,810 28,378 42,894 
			 Ealing 15,710 20,511 33,550 29,629 19,360 
			 Enfield 16,986 15,278 25,827 31,447 5,068 
			 Greenwich 13,276 21,775 49,276 23,931 38,548 
			 Hackney 13,718 21,349 41,983 43,925 28,566 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 25,129 28,567 23,620 39,183 41,372 
			 Haringey 25,088 20,774 26,364 29,872 26,771 
			 Harrow 14,716 8,593 11,008 14,072 1,632 
			 Havering 3,269 3,624 3,904 5,120 6,938 
			 Hillingdon 9,436 11,264 14,443 13,211 8,194 
			 Hounslow 3,781 10,808 31,544 20,473 14,132 
			 Islington 13,073 26,447 46,716 31,242 51,701 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 13,983 21,885 22,930 11,812 7,574 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,769 4,893 6,051 7,387 8,210 
			 Lambeth 13,567 14,683 37,751 23,773 43,883 
			 Lewisham 22,074 29,548 20,892 31,005 15,070 
			 Merton 7,667 3,158 12,147 9,798 5,726 
			 Newham 24,222 17,736 35,302 40,184 55,094 
			 Redbridge 7,203 13,702 15,227 9,707 4,656 
			 Richmond upon Thames 7,866 5,157 10,884 4,231 4,966 
			 Southwark 16,372 21,709 36,489 61,840 27,281 
			 Sutton 6,936 4,653 13,704 11,032 4,125 
			 Tower Hamlets 12,723 17,744 33,372 32,874 18,892 
			 Waltham Forest 19,519 16,266 6,991 13,623 6,014 
			 Wandsworth 10,024 9,859 20,508 11,390 12,848 
			 Westminster 13,896 23,052 23,043 32,628 18,318 
			 London total 453,988 543,725 749,614 728,447 612,855

Housing

Howard Stoate: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research his Department has (a) carried out and (b) commissioned to examine the environmental (i) impact and (ii) sustainability of the housebuilding programme in Kent Thameside and the Thames Gateway growth area.

Yvette Cooper: All new housing in Kent Thameside and the wider Thames Gateway growth area will be delivered through the planning system, and will therefore be subject to both strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in line with the European SEA directive and environmental impact assessment. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, all local development documents and regional spatial strategies must be subject to a thorough sustainability appraisal incorporating the full requirements of the SEA Directive.
	In addition, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has awarded a major research contract as part of our response to the Barker Review to consider the economic, social, environmental and fiscal implications of additional house building. The contract runs to June 2005, and has been awarded to a consortium led by Entec UK.

Housing

John Denham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) minimum, (b) average and (c) maximum public capital cost per (i) shared ownership property and (ii) social rented home was in each region in England in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The table shows the lowest, average and highest level of public capital investment per unit for the schemes included in the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme (ADP) 2004–06 for each region in England broken down by shared ownership and social rent.
	
		£
		
			  Shared ownership Rent 
			 Region Lowest Average Highest Lowest Average Highest 
		
		
			 London 10,000 39,548 93,404 10,484 99,902 262,500 
			 South East 2,500 23,034 80,600 3,333 58,715 185,425 
			 South West 2,000 18,559 71,250 1,500 49,495 319,850 
			 East Midlands 1,667 20,634 62,083 3,214 43,196 133,333 
			 Eastern 1,667 18,718 64,000 2,000 47,313 168,680 
			 West Midlands 5,000 23,684 68,780 8,413 52,473 136,508 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 16,938 18,460 37,985 15,717 47,945 102,605 
			 North East 17,807 30,848 60,797 18,871 54,771 161,853 
			 North West 2,125 31,340 71,160 10,000 67,226 297,066 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures based on ADP allocation and other public sector investment by scheme as at 31 May 2005.
	Source:
	Housing Corporation

Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice he has provided to London boroughs on housing allocations policies in respect of single people.

Yvette Cooper: The Government issued statutory guidance to all local housing authorities, including London boroughs, in November 2002 about the allocation of social housing under Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996 (the 1996 Act), as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002.
	The changes to Part 6 of the 1996 Act introduced by the Homelessness Act 2002 were designed to ensure the widest possible access to social housing for all applicants, while at the same time ensuring that priority for social housing goes to those in greater housing need, including single people where relevant.
	The revised Code of Guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation came into force on 31 January 2003.
	However, the Government have not issued advice on housing allocation policies specifically aimed at London boroughs, or specifically in respect of single people.

Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people were on the housing need list in each London borough on the last date for which figures are available; how many new lettings there were in each such borough in 2004–05; and how many new dwellings are expected to become available for new tenancies in 2005–06.

Yvette Cooper: Information on the number of new local authority (LA) lettings made during 2004–05 is not yet available. Therefore, the latest information, for 2003–04, on:
	the number of households on the housing waiting lists at 1 April;
	the number of social (LA and registered social landlords (RSLs)) lettings made to new tenants, and;
	the number of new RSL dwellings planned for rent covering two years, 2004–05 and 2005–06.
	in each London borough is given in the table.
	Local authorities sometimes maintain a common waiting list with the RSLs, sometimes known as housing associations, in their district. However, information is not held centrally where a RSL maintains a separate waiting list to the local authority.
	The number of new RSL dwellings planned for rent has been provided covering two years as the Housing Corporation now plan the building of new RSL dwellings using a two-year allocation process.
	
		Table: Housing waiting list numbers, new social lettings made and new RSL dwellings planned for rent in 2004–05 and 2005–06,by London borough(10)
		
			 London borough Households on the housing waiting list at 1 April 2004 Number of social lettings(11) to new tenants during 2003–04 Number of new RSL dwellings planned for rent in 2004–05 and 2005–06(12) 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,149 1,126 315 
			 Barnet(13) 10,732 827 346 
			 Bexley(13) 4,404 1,137 105 
			 Brent 15,504 1,296 692 
			 Bromley 3,866 966 197 
			 Camden 15,757 2,648 230 
			 City of London 914 140 0 
			 Croydon(13) 8,067 2,163 385 
			 Ealing 12,808 1,394 357 
			 Enfield 12,584 1,117 312 
			 Greenwich 6,710 2,927 468 
			 Hackney 11,016 2,856 458 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham(13) 7,874 1,561 325 
			 Haringey 16,920 1,492 488 
			 Harrow 4,333 795 96 
			 Havering 2,384 673 176 
			 Hillingdon(13) 6,910 993 130 
			 Hounslow 7,088 974 327 
			 Islington 6,871 2,118 369 
			 Kensington and Chelsea(13) 8,326 1,353 170 
			 Kingston upon Thames(13) 4,465 439 269 
			 Lambeth 12,847 2,990 635 
			 Lewisham(13) 17,497 2,027 301 
			 Merton 4,834 821 121 
			 Newham 19,503 1,573 525 
			 Redbridge 4,766 694 156 
			 Richmond upon Thames(13) 4,868 564 53 
			 Southwark 6,657 2,904 425 
			 Sutton 2,145 821 164 
			 Tower Hamlets(13) 14,575 4,008 919 
			 Waltham Forest 9,016 1,559 107 
			 Wandsworth 6,672 1,714 41 
			 Westminster 5,667 2,672 215 
			 London total 279,729 51,342 9,877 
		
	
	(10) Social housing is the combination of local authority (LA) and registered social landlord (RSL) tenures.
	(11) New LA and RSL lettings have been combined and shown here.
	(12) Number of RSL dwellings for which an allocation of funding was made available as part of the Approved Development Programme 2004–06 in March 2004. These figures are for rented schemes being provided either through new build or acquisition and refurbishment.
	(13) Denotes that the London borough has a common waiting list with the RSLs in their area.
	Source:
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return, Housing Corporation's CORE return and the Housing Corporation London Allocation Statement 2004–06

Housing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will list sites released for new housing under the proposals which he announced on 25 May;
	(2)  which of the sites released for new housing under the proposals announced on 25 May are in (a) Greater London and (b) the constituency of Chipping Barnet; and which of the latter are on green belt land.

Yvette Cooper: The announcement by my right hon. Friends the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 25 May referred to 700 sites currently entered on the Register of surplus public sector land which is maintained by English Partnerships. The sites' owners and English Partnerships are currently reviewing all registered sites to assess their development potential. A list of the sites, as at March 2005, can be found on the English Partnerships website at: http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/images/16EE954C9043 40DDAB44702EF5D2 ADE6.pdf
	51 sites on the Register as at March 2005 are situated in the Greater London area. None of these sites is located in Chipping Barnet. An updated list of Register sites will be published by English Partnerships towards the end of June 2005.
	In addition, it was announced on 1 April that a portfolio of nearly 100 ex-NHS sites, would be transferred from the Department of Health to English Partnerships. The first tranche of 67 sites transferred on 6 April. Work is on-going with partners and local authorities to assess each site to identify how they can contribute to local housing and employment needs. It is estimated that the total portfolio of 96 sites could accommodate up to 15,000 new homes nationally, with at least 5,000 being affordable. This estimate is subject to planning permission for the individual sites, and residential development will not be appropriate on all of the sites.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish his review of the future of arm's length management organisations; and if he will list those who participated in the review.

Yvette Cooper: The current Review of the long term future of arm's length management organisations (ALMOs) will produce a formal consultation paper later in the summer. The following are represented on the Review Group: ALMOs; local authorities with ALMOs; the National Federation of ALMOs, the Local Government Association, the Association of London Government; Tenants Participation Advisory Services; the Housing Inspectorate; the Chartered Institute of Housing; the Housing Corporation; HM Treasury; and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Housing

Sally Keeble: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in each of the last two quarters how many families applying to local authorities for housing were found to be intentionally homeless.

Yvette Cooper: Information collected quarterly about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is in respect of applicant households, which encompasses single people as well as family groups. The number of households in England found after investigation to be eligible for assistance and in priority need, but intentionally homeless, was as follows:
	
		
			 2004 Number of households 
		
		
			 Quarter 3 (July-September) 3,550 
			 Quarter 4 (October-December) 3,400 
		
	
	In both quarters, cases found to be intentionally homeless accounted for 5 per cent. of all decisions.
	A full summary of local authority decisions up to and including the fourth quarter of 2004 is included in the latest statistical release on statutory homelessness, published 14 March 2005, available in both the Library of the House and via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website. The next release, for the first quarter of 2005, will be published on 13 June.

Local Authorities (General Elections)

Andrew Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what guidance is provided to local authorities on factors to be taken into account in the run-up to a parliamentary general election; and to what extent that guidance is required to be observed (a) before an election is announced, (b) in the period between announcement of an election and the dissolution of Parliament and (c) following dissolution;
	(2)  whether the amendments made following the 2001 general election to the guidance issued to local authorities on factors to be taken into account in the run-up to a general election are fully in force.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not issue guidance to local authorities on factors to be taken into account before, during or after a UK parliamentary election. Guidance on the administration of elections is issued to returning officers by the Electoral Commission—Managing a UK parliamentary general election-good practice guidance manual" is available on the Commission's website at: http://www.electoralcommission.gov.uk/files/dms/GeguidancePartGFINAL_15842–11649_E_S_W_.pdf. Guidance on recounts can be found in Part G of this document. Other specific guidance—for instance on security issues and Returning Officers' expenses—is issued by my Department and is available on the departmental website.
	Returning officers operate independently from both local authorities and central government. Any guidance is offered for their assistance but they are not bound either to accept or to follow it.

Local Government

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department's good practice guidelines for local authorities on sales of assets permit a vendor to proceed with the private sale of a public asset without making public information on negotiations with its preferred bidder.

Phil Woolas: Local authorities are responsible for taking their own decisions on sale and procurement matters within the framework of law which includes the European Union Treaty, the EU Procurement Directives, the regulations that implement them in the UK and other domestic legislation. In doing so, they will have regard to relevant good practice guidance. Any issues arising from a specific case would need to be pursued with the individual authority in the first instance.

Local Land Charges

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will introduce a two tier system for local land charges for (a) local authorities and (b) private companies;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the ability of councils to fund the maintenance and provision of access to information with particular reference to local land charges; and whether he has considered allowing councils to increase their charges for the provision of such information;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the merits of councils increasing their charges for access to information; and if he will support an increase from the existing £11 fee to one of £60;
	(4)  if he will take steps to include the consideration of changes to local land charges in the Office of Fair Trading's ongoing market study.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	In England and Wales local land charges are matters of a public nature affecting land. They are recorded in registers maintained by local registering authorities. The fees payable for local land charge services are set by the Lord Chancellor, with the concurrence of HM Treasury, under the Local Land Charges Act 1975 as amended. The fees do not vary according to the identity of the person to whom the service is provided. There are no plans to change this policy.
	The fees are set at levels that take into account the cost of delivering the relevant services. For example, the fee for an official search of the local land charges register is £6 or, if conducted electronically, £4, and the fee for a personal search is £11. However, as the present nationally set fees can only approximately reflect the costs of each individual registering authority, the Government has amended the 1975 Act (see schedule 4 paragraphs 82–85 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005) to devolve the power to set local land charge fees, other than personal search fees, to registering authorities in England. They will be permitted to set fees, which taking one year with another, recover an amount up to, but not exceeding, the costs they incur in providing local land charge services. In setting fees, registering authorities will have to have regard to guidance issued by the Lord Chancellor. These arrangements are to be brought into force on a date to be fixed. The Lord Chancellor's fee-setting power for all local land charges in Wales was devolved to the Welsh Assembly on 31 December 2004.
	There are currently no plans to change the fee payable for personal searches. Any change would have to be supported by sound evidence and public consultation would be required before making any substantial increase.
	The Office of Fair Trading's market study on the provision of property information includes consideration of the charges for local land charge services (including personal searches of the local land charges register). Any recommendations made by OFT will be taken into account in the setting of fees for personal searches of the local land charges register and in the preparation of any guidance to be issued in relation to other local land charge fees.
	In relation to the provision of property information, other than local land charges, local authorities can already set fees under the Local Authorities (Charges for Land Searches) Regulations 1994. In setting such fees a local authority is required to have regard to its costs in providing the information. Local authorities may also impose a charge for the provision of information in response to an enquiry under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. No changes are currently proposed to these arrangements.

Planning Approvals

Harry Cohen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals for penalties against those who rely on retrospective planning approvals.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is carrying out a review of the planning enforcement system in England. Retrospective planning applications, including whether any penalties should be imposed, and retrospective planning permission are part of that review.

Referendums

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what campaign spending restrictions apply for campaigning in (a) mayoral referendums and (b) local referendums held under the Local Government Act 2003.

Phil Woolas: The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2001 specify an expenses limit for mayoral referendums of £2,000, plus 5p per elector on the relevant register of local government electors. That limit applies to any expenses incurred by or on behalf of an individual or body during the referendum period for the purpose of promoting or securing a particular result in the referendum. In addition, local authorities must have regard to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, which states that an authority must not incur spending designed to influence the outcome of a mayoral election.
	The Local Government Act 2003 provides for local authorities to hold advisory referendums on local issues. There is no provision setting a limit on campaign spending for this purpose. However, the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity states that a local authority should not use public funds for the purpose of persuading the public to hold a particular view in a referendum.

Referendums

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidelines the Government have published on (a) initiating and (b) conducting local referendums under the Local Government Act 2003.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have published no guidelines on initiating or conducting local referendums under the Local Government Act 2003.

Registered Social Landlords

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the performance requirements for registered social landlords to receive gap funding have been changed in the last 12 months; and whether the requirement that they achieve two stars remains.

Yvette Cooper: The gap funding arrangements for housing transfer were announced on 21 March. There have been no subsequent changes to the performance requirements for registered social landlords (RSL). The suggestion that the RSL achieve two star performance was in a working draft on which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister consulted. It was not included arrangements as during consultation it became clear that it would be unreasonable to link payment of gap funding, on which the viability of the RSL business plan is dependent, to a decision from a third party, the Housing Inspectorate, who gives the performance ratings.

Urban Growth Areas

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which areas in England are designated as Urban Growth Areas.

Yvette Cooper: The Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9, March 2001) identified Ashford, Milton Keynes/South Midlands (MKSM) and London-Stansted-Cambridge (LSC), alongside the Thames Gateway, as growth areas to be taken forward through assessment of potential, and then examination and testing in the regional planning process. In February 2004 the London-Stansted-Cambridge area was expanded to include all of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (now known as LSCP).
	In addition, in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's 5 Year Plan Homes for All" (January 2005) my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced that additional support would be offered to assist other areas in the wider south-east and adjoining regions where local partners wish to bring forward major proposals for sustainable growth. No decision has been made yet on locations for additional support.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Homelessness

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were designated as homeless in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the provision for homeless people in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: During the last five financial years (1 April to 31 March each year) the information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000–01 6,457 
			 2001–02 7,374 
			 2002–03 8,580 
			 2003–04 8,594 
			 2004–05 8,470 
		
	
	The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has had its homelessness strategy in place since late in 2002. The impact of the strategy is starting to be reflected in the homelessness figures, which showed a small but welcome reduction in 2004–05 compared to the previous two years. An analysis of the figures shows a reduction in the number of cases of homelessness caused by intimidation. During the past year the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has met its target of eliminating the use of bed and breakfast type of accommodation for families, except in emergency cases. It has also provided approximately £1.5 million of funding to a range of voluntary bodies for special projects to tackle and prevent homelessness. These projects included rent guarantee schemes, mediation services, youth homelessness prevention schemes, street outreach services for rough sleepers and specialist advice workers.

Legislative Programme

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide details of the application to Northern Ireland of the legislative programme outlined in the Gracious Speech; and what discussions have taken place between him and his Cabinet colleagues in relation to its application to Northern Ireland.

Peter Hain: Details of the legislative programme for this Session, including the territorial application of each Bill, are laid out on the website www.commonsleader.gov.uk. The territorial extent of Bills is, of course, the subject of discussion with Cabinet colleagues. These discussions are covered by collective responsibility and so I am unable to give any further details.

Prison Service

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of whether there is a neutral working environment in the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 184W.

Prison Service

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures have been taken to ensure a neutral working environment in the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 184W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airwave

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what statistical basis his statement on 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 432, on the delivery of the Airwave scheme, was founded.

Hazel Blears: The Airwave contract called for roll out to all forces in England, Wales and Scotland to be completed by 2005. That target has been met. The contract was for a fixed price, with any additional costs arising during roll-out of the system being met by O2 Airwave.

Airwave

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an evaluation of the performance of the Airwave radio communications network has been carried out.

Hazel Blears: The Airwave system has to pass a rigorous series of tests before being accepted by a force as being Ready For Service. The Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) continually evaluates the performance of Airwave through a national service support structure, managing any arising issues jointly with Airwave O2. As part of its Business Benefits strategy, PITO is in the process of carrying out formal base line reviews of several of the 32 forces that have fully migrated onto Airwave.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Norfolk in each year since the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 entered into force.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		The number of ASBOs issued, as reported to the Home Office, by all courts in Norfolk, by period, up to 30 September 2004 (latest available)
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1 April 1999 to31 May 2000(14) 6 
			 1 June 2000 to31 December 2000 0 
			 2001 12 
			 2002 7 
			 2003 6 
			 1 January 2004 to 30 September 2004 26 
			 Total 58 
		
	
	(14) Between 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area (pfa).

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down by ethnicity the number of people who have been given antisocial behaviour orders.

Hazel Blears: Ethnicity is not collected centrally as part of the data collection of antisocial behaviour orders issued.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children with (a) autism and (b) other brain disorders have been issued with an antisocial behaviour order.

Hazel Blears: Information is not collected centrally about the characteristics of persons issued with an antisocial behaviour order.

Asylum Seekers

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers who have not left the country are not claiming section 4 hard case support.

Tony McNulty: The purpose of section 4, is to provide accommodation to failed asylum seekers who are unable to leave the country immediately due to circumstances beyond their control. There is therefore no need for failed asylum seekers genuinely unable to leave the country to be left homeless or destitute. There are no figures showing how many failed asylum seekers remain in the country.

Asylum Seekers

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many units of accommodation for section 4 hard case support asylum seekers are vacant, broken down by region.

Tony McNulty: Accommodation for those receiving support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 is not procured in advance. Instead accommodation is booked on a case by case basis, using a number of providers, at the time an applicant is granted support under section 4.

Asylum Seekers

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers are receiving section 4 hard case support, broken down by region.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is given in the table.
	
		Number of people supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 broken down by region
		
			 Region Number supported as at 1 April 2005(15) 
		
		
			 East Midlands 440 
			 East of England 25 
			 Greater London 475 
			 North East 320 
			 North West 965 
			 Scotland 100 
			 South East 40 
			 South West 185 
			 Wales 155 
			 West Midlands 1,140 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,335 
			 Total 5,180 
		
	
	(15) Numbers are provisional and rounded to nearest 5. As a consequence they may not sum due to rounding.

BB Guns

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded incidents there were in 2004 involving BB guns in England and Wales.

Hazel Blears: A BB gun is an airsoft weapon firing plastic pellets and statistics have only been collected separately from April 2004. Between April and December 2004, there were 2,219 offences where the type of weapon used was a BB gun.

BB Guns

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded incidents there were in 2004 involving BB guns in North Yorkshire.

Hazel Blears: A BB gun is an airsoft weapon firing plastic pellets and statistics have only been collected separately from April 2004. Between April and December 2004, there were three offences in North Yorkshire where the type of weapon used was a BB gun.

Clamped Vehicles

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who decides how much a local authority or a land owner may charge for the release of a clamped vehicle.

Paul Goggins: No particular body or organisation decides how much a vehicle immobiliser operating on private land should charge for the release of a clamped vehicle. For clamping on-street or in local authority car parks in England and Wales, outside London, the level of the release fee is set by the Secretary of State for Transport. In London, the Association of London Government Transport and Environment Committee makes proposals for setting the release fee. Any change is subject to formal agreement by the Mayor.

Community Support Officers

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of community support officers to reducing (a) violent and (b) gun crime.

Hazel Blears: The interim report of the National Evaluation of Community Support Officers (CSOs) published in December 2004 (available at www.policereform.gov.uk) indicated that CSOs are having a positive impact and can have a substantial impact on some types of antisocial behaviour and lower level crime, for example vehicle related crime and personal robbery. The main aim of CSOs is to provide a visible and reassuring presence on the street. It was never intended that they should tackle areas like violent and gun crime.

Community Support Officers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the community support officers the Government plan to recruit by 2008 he expects to be posted in Coventry.

Hazel Blears: At the end of March there was 6,300 community support officers (CSOs) in England and Wales, 223 of these in the West Midlands police. As set out in our booklet Neighbourhood Policing: your police; your community; our commitment", we will provide funding to support an increase in the numbers of CSOs to 24,000 in 2008. We will announce later in the year, following discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities what funding will be allocated for each police authority. It will be for the chief constable of the West Midlands police to determine the deployment of CSOs in the force area.

Convention on Human Trafficking

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the UK has not ratified the Convention on Human Trafficking; and what discussions he has had with non-governmental organisations on the decision not to ratify that Convention.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 24 May 2005
	The UK has not yet taken a decision on whether to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking. There are certain provisions in the Convention which present concerns for the UK and which remain under active consideration. We want to resolve these issues before taking a decision on signature. We support fully all of the aims of the Convention and we too want to see widespread action to tackle this abhorrent trade at source, to protect and support the victims and bring those responsible to justice. Ministers and officials are in contact with non-governmental organisations about the Convention. The Convention was discussed during a round table meeting on trafficking held in October and further dialogue on the Convention has taken place since.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outturn band D council tax precepts were for each police authority in England and Wales in each year from 1997–98 to 2005–06.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the following table.
	
		£
		
			  Police precept on council tax (band D) 
			 Police authority 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 52.04 54.86 60.62 67.59 72.66 
			 Bedfordshire 52.51 55.84 61.36 66.98 70.26 
			 Cambridgeshire 51.03 48.24 52.11 62.46 68.04 
			 Cheshire 51.16 53.86 56.28 61.06 64.66 
			 Cleveland 54.87 48.43 62.55 65.58 69.51 
			 Cumbria 58.20 72.35 78.27 84.23 90.60 
			 Derbyshire 51.31 57.30 65.85 71.12 75.38 
			 Devon and Cornwall 49.79 48.30 53.52 58.87 61.81 
			 Dorset 63.59 70.61 77.13 84.42 92.25 
			 Durham 52.20 48.60 50.40 52.65 56.43 
			 Dyfed-Powys 48.42 59.58 72.99 85.41 90.90 
			 Essex 54.09 62.28 65.07 67.95 71.01 
			 Gloucestershire 51.17 57.74 68.90 77.98 82.05 
			 Greater Manchester 54.10 56.28 60.22 62.72 64.66 
			 Gwent 49.10 54.36 59.74 74.97 84.03 
			 Hampshire 51.75 50.13 53.91 55.08 59.04 
			 Hertfordshire 51.51 58.83 63.54 67.99 72.39 
			 Humberside 52.47 52.47 54.81 60.30 85.77 
			 Kent 51.59 48.41 52.48 55.73 60.26 
			 Lancashire 53.25 53.41 57.69 62.60 67.89 
			 Leicestershire 52.26 61.21 63.79 67.80 75.52 
			 Lincolnshire 69.03 78.93 81.99 86.49 90.36 
			 Merseyside 66.87 71.78 77.44 81.31 85.37 
			 Metropolitan 63.27 76.48 82.51 90.95 118.85 
			 Norfolk 50.58 53.64 64.35 72.09 83.61 
			 Northamptonshire 70.56 69.29 76.08 79.65 83.00 
			 Northumbria 52.73 47.67 49.82 52.06 55.65 
			 North Wales 48.52 58.54 66.33 78.49 82.72 
			 North Yorkshire 49.72 48.46 52.20 57.04 62.59 
			 Nottinghamshire 49.78 54.32 61.55 65.17 70.17 
			 South Wales 49.22 56.25 65.36 80.42 85.57 
			 South Yorkshire 53.29 54.28 56.72 59.26 62.79 
			 Staffordshire 54.74 72.42 78.86 83.43 94.37 
			 Suffolk 51.39 52.38 56.16 61.11 67.14 
			 Surrey 44.64 66.06 75.24 79.41 83.08 
			 Sussex 51.66 50.94 53.19 55.53 59.13 
			 Thames Valley 52.79 50.76 56.53 60.34 64.49 
			 Warwickshire 52.24 62.09 71.18 77.57 85.17 
			 West Mercia 50.87 53.64 59.00 74.06 78.50 
			 West Midlands 53.20 48.99 51.19 54.77 57.21 
			 West Yorkshire 53.17 52.41 54.76 58.73 60.82 
			 Wiltshire 55.22 62.77 68.98 75.84 83.26 
		
	
	
		£
		
			  Police precept on council tax (band D) 
			 Police authority 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 83.40 111.64 125.09 131.34 
			 Bedfordshire 78.69 93.44 107.17 111.98 
			 Cambridgeshire 94.59 113.31 129.33 135.54 
			 Cheshire 73.54 88.10 97.71 102.60 
			 Cleveland 96.13 120.22 136.84 143.68 
			 Cumbria 100.48 130.71 150.28 155.43 
			 Derbyshire 91.96 111.77 122.88 129.02 
			 Devon and Cornwall 73.80 103.27 113.39 119.62 
			 Dorset 103.50 123.39 135.36 142.11 
			 Durham 64.44 79.56 91.53 96.03 
			 Dyfed-Powys 98.10 124.11 142.65 143.10 
			 Essex 77.67 92.97 99.27 104.76 
			 Gloucestershire 94.01 142.59 156.71 162.90 
			 Greater Manchester 68.86 91.65 98.52 105.41 
			 Gwent 95.17 119.11 139.13 145.07 
			 Hampshire 75.15 97.29 108.36 113.76 
			 Hertfordshire 81.01 98.28 112.53 118.09 
			 Humberside 95.40 113.04 129.96 135.72 
			 Kent 73.64 94.95 105.66 110.88 
			 Lancashire 73.86 87.57 100.70 107.72 
			 Leicestershire 95.21 104.77 120.11 126.04 
			 Lincolnshire 94.86 104.40 112.23 119.43 
			 Merseyside 94.76 101.54 110.17 115.68 
			 Metropolitan 130.59 159.13 184.08 196.28 
			 Norfolk 100.35 121.95 138.69 145.53 
			 Northamptonshire 105.25 130.09 149.43 154.41 
			 Northumbria 58.15 63.80 66.93 70.03 
			 North Wales 96.53 126.94 151.57 158.94 
			 North Yorkshire 88.59 156.00 171.50 176.00 
			 Nottinghamshire 85.17 109.30 120.12 126.01 
			 South Wales 89.85 103.51 115.71 120.40 
			 South Yorkshire 74.09 94.30 102.79 107.88 
			 Staffordshire 100.93 126.50 138.44 145.28 
			 Suffolk 82.08 109.35 119.70 125.01 
			 Surrey 96.44 135.09 147.06 154.26 
			 Sussex 69.84 97.74 105.12 110.25 
			 Thames Valley 73.49 106.24 120.51 126.28 
			 Warwickshire 101.78 117.30 126.55 132.52 
			 West Mercia 104.50 119.80 137.69 143.17 
			 West Midlands 61.88 71.16 80.08 83.68 
			 West Yorkshire 75.92 88.81 102.06 107.05 
			 Wiltshire 91.54 109.68 120.63 126.63 
		
	
	Source:
	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the National Assembly for Wales

Crime

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's estimate is of the proportion of crimes committed which are reported to the police; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The 2003–04 British crime survey showed that 40 per cent. of all incidents measured by the survey came to the attention of the police.

Crime

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of crime was categorised as violent in the latest period for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Violent crime comprises of the offence groups violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery. The latest published figures relate to October-December 2004 and show that there were 295,365 recorded violent crimes which accounted for 21 per cent. of the total number of offences. Of the 295,365 recorded violent crimes, 42 per cent. involved no injury.

Crime

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to (a) reduce street crime in Hertfordshire, (b) tackle binge drinking and (c) tackle drug-related crime; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The 10 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in Hertfordshire and the Drug Action Team (DAT) are responsible for the delivery of crime reduction and the National Drug Strategy at the local level. The performance of the CDRPs and DAT is managed by the Home Office team in the Government Office for the East of England (GO East), whose role is to support and challenge the partnerships' performance in the region. The director of this team is held accountable by the Crime Reduction Director and Drug Strategy Director in the Home Office through quarterly meetings, supplemented by performance review meetings with the Home Office performance support managers in the intervening months. The Home Office funds the ten partnerships in Hertfordshire with £1,490,102 from the Building Safer Communities Fund and £559,354 from the Basic Command Unit fund. The Government will shortly introduce the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which will target gun and knife crime and alcohol-related crime and disorder. It will toughen the laws on replica firearms, create restrictions on the sale of primers and specialist equipment for making ammunitions and it will tighten laws on airguns, powers to require certain pubs and clubs to search for guns and knives on entry, powers for the police to impose 48-hour bans on pubs and clubs persistently selling alcohol to under-18s, and the establishment of alcohol disorder zones. The CDRPs and Drug Action Team (DAT) and their constituent members in Hertfordshire are taking the following actions to tackle street crime, binge-drinking and drug-related crime in Hertfordshire.
	(a) Street crime—All 10 Hertfordshire CDRPs commissioned crime audits in 2004 to identify local strategic priorities for their 2005–08 Community Safety strategies. The CDRPs have each negotiated a three-year crime reduction target with GO-East. The progress towards the target will be measured by performance on ten crime types, two of which cover street crime. While Hertfordshire was not one of the l0 areas involved in the Street Crime Initiative, best practice is being spread between police forces through the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office's Police Standards Unit. This is to ensure that the lessons that have been learnt from the Street Crime Initiative can benefit all forces. Several of the Hertfordshire CDRPs have identified specific strategic priorities around street crime. These include Broxbourne and North and East Herts, aiming to make town centres safer, Stevenage, aiming to reduce alcohol-related crime in the town centre and leisure park, and Watford, aiming to make the town safer at night.
	(b) Binge Drinking—Hertfordshire County Council have instigated a £400,000 project to reduce alcohol-related antisocial behaviour and curb alcohol abuse. This includes the launch of a website aimed at 13–17 year olds which has extensive information about the risks of alcohol among other material. Among individual initiatives by Hertfordshire CDRPs, Stevenage have planned a number of actions including a requirement that all public entertainment licensed premises should have a drugs policy by April 2006; regular joint licensee inspection visits from the police and the council; a ban on irresponsible drink promotions and support for the licensed industry's voluntary code on low priced promotions; and encouraging licensed premises to participate in the Club/Pub Watch scheme that contains a banning/exclusion order facility. These measures will be supported by GIS mapping of alcohol related crime and disorder and fixed penalty enforcement.
	(c) Tackling Drug-Related Crime During 2004–05—Hertfordshire DAT has introduced the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) within the area. The aim of DIP is to reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs by substantially increasing the number of drug-misusing offenders entering treatment through the criminal justice system. Government funding for DIP in Hertfordshire in 2005–06 is £1,038,586 (this includes £530,842 arrest referral grant). Hertfordshire has set a target of 600 DIP clients for 2005–06, of which 450 will be 'generic' DIP clients and 150 specifically Prolific and Priority Offender (PPO) DIP clients. More recently the PPO project has also been introduced in the area. The project has already engaged a large number of people in hard-to-reach target groups in structured treatment. This project is now ready to be rolled out to the whole of Hertfordshire. GO East and the CDRPs are also funding MIDAS, a web-based database for crime, disorder, drugs, alcohol and community safety information, for the use of all partners involved in Community Safety. Hertfordshire DAT and the CDRPs within the area are working towards integrating their work.

Crime

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are stationed in Hammersmith and Fulham constituency.

Hazel Blears: On 31 March 2005 there were 522.15 full-time equivalent police officers stationed in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, 10 more than in March 2004. The deployment of police officers within the Metropolitan Police Service is a matter for the Commissioner.

Crime

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham during the past 12 months.

Hazel Blears: The number of anti-social behaviour orders issued at all courts, as reported to the Home Office, from 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004 (latest available), where restrictions are imposed in the London borough of Hammersmith, is six.

Crime

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he and his Department have had with the (a) Police Borough Commander for Hammersmith and Fulham and (b) her officers.

Hazel Blears: I attended a meeting of Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Partnership on 23 March 2005 for a discussion on police reform at which the Police Borough Commander was present. I have not specifically met with her officers.

Dispersal Orders

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders have been made in Leeds since January 2004.

Hazel Blears: The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police tells me that since January 2004 six areas in Leeds have been designated under section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to assess the effectiveness of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Hazel Blears: The Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 is the biggest overhaul of legislation on domestic violence in the last 30 years. It received Royal Assent on 15 November 2004 and contains a wide range of reforms on domestic violence, crime and victims and witnesses. The provisions in the Act will be commenced in stages during 2005. The table gives a brief outline of some measures in the Act and the plans to assess their effectiveness, once they have been implemented. The measures specifically relating to domestic violence will run alongside the broader set of national performance indicators, published in our National Report on Domestic Violence, in March this year. The indicators will be used to measure the effectiveness of our domestic violence strategy over the medium and long term.
	
		
			 Section Measure Plans to Asses Effectiveness 
		
		
			 1–4 Domestic Violence—Amendments to the Family Law Act 1996 Comparative case study analysis to be conducted in areas to assess impact of the provisions. 
			 5–8 Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult Offence and procedural measures will be kept under review. 
			 9 Domestic homicide reviews (extends to NI) Plans for how the reviews will be monitored are still under consideration 
			 10 Common Assault to be an arrestable offence (extends to NI) Police forces will routinely collect data on arrests. The data will be monitored on a quarterly basis under PPAF, giving us an indication of the impact of this measure on local policing. 
			 12–13 Restraining orders Will be monitored as part of the National DV Performance indicators 
			 14–16 Surcharge Number of surcharges imposed and amount of revenue collected will be monitored by DCA 
			 17–20 Trial by jury of sample counts only Applications made by the prosecution, the number granted and the outcome of trials will be monitored 
			 27 Fine enforcement—powers of authorised officers executing warrants Guidance and training to be rolled out by HMCS 
			 28,29 Fine enforcement—disclosure orders and procedure on breach of community penalty Guidance and training to be rolled out by HMCS 
			 32–34 Victims Measures Code of Practice Satisfaction of victims will be assessed using PPAF, User Satisfaction Measures, the Witness and Victim Experience Survey and the British Crime Survey. 
			 47–55 Victims Commissioner, Plans for how the Commissioner will operate are still under consideration. However, the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses will be required to produce an annual report, which must be provided to the Home Secretary, Attorney General and Lord Chancellor, then published and laid before Parliament. 
			 55 Victims Advisory Panel, An annual report, setting out the panels achievements for the year will be published and laid before Parliament.

Europol

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the causal requirement for Council Decision 2005/169/EC, adding Israel to the list of states with which the Director of Europol may conduct negotiations.

Andy Burnham: The Europol Convention provides for Europol to establish and maintain relations with third states where this is necessary for Europol to perform its functions as described in the Convention. The rules governing these relations provide for Europol to conclude agreements to, in particular, exchange liaison officers and share information. Any agreement to share personal data would be subject to an opinion of the independent Joint Supervisory Body established by the Convention. This Council Decision, of 24 February 2005, adds Israel to the list of states with which the Director of Europol may enter into negotiations. The Government considers the negotiation of a co-operation agreement with Israel to be a useful step in the fight against serious and organised cross-border crime.

Football Banning Orders

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many football banning orders are in place; and how many of these prevent the person from travelling abroad to watch football matches.

Paul Goggins: As at 25 May 2005 there were 2,982 persons subject to football banning orders. In accordance with their banning order conditions, all of these individuals are prohibited from attending regulated football matches played at home and overseas.

Happy Slapping

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to tackle the practice known as happy slapping.

Hazel Blears: There are a number of offences which cover the practice of happy slapping". These include common assault and battery where one person recklessly or intentionally causes another person to fear immediate violence or to sustain unlawful personal violence, plus a range of offences where actual injury is caused. Maximum penalties range from six months' imprisonment for common assault up to life for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The Government take the issue of violent crime and its impact on people's lives very seriously. Even though the British Crime Survey shows that violent crime has fallen by 26 per cent. since 1997, it fully recognises public concern and is taking forward several initiatives to tackle violent crime in all its forms and make the country as safe as possible for law-abiding citizens. In particular, the Government will shortly introduce the Violent Crime Reduction Bill which will target irresponsible drinking, imitation firearms and knives.

Householders (Police Guidance)

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to the police in the use of reasonable force by householders defending themselves, others or property from intruders.

Hazel Blears: The Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers issued guidance in February 2005 which sets out in plain language what householders' rights are and the level of force that they can use if faced with an intruder in their home. In supporting this, the Home Office has issued general guidance which is contained in our Guide to Home Security" and Be Safe, Be Secure" leaflets and on the Crime Reduction website www.crimereduction.gov.uk.

Identity Cards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the contribution identity cards may make to the prevention of terrorist attacks on the UK.

Tony McNulty: Dialogue has been ongoing with the security services in relation to the effectiveness of the proposed identity card. The security services have said that an ID card will help in tackling terrorism. The Security Service have stated that a card scheme would disrupt the use of false identities by terrorist organisations, for example in money laundering and organised crime. We know that at least one-third of terrorist suspects make use of false identities. An ID card will reduce the opportunity for those facilitating terrorist and organised criminals to operate using multiple identities. The scheme would also be a useful tool in helping to monitor and disrupt the support activities of terrorist networks.

Identity Theft

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that police forces are trained to deal with cases of identity theft from mobile telephones.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 6 June 2005
	The National Specialist Law Enforcement Centre (NSLEC), which is part of Centrex, is responsible for developing and delivering training for the police service to equip them to tackle high tech crime. Training courses are available at all levels, from new recruits through to specialist investigators. In addition, the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU) has developed a National Mobile Phone Register to hold information on registered mobile phones, information on crime reports from police forces and information from the mobile phone industry's own lost or stolen list. About a third of forces are making use of this system and the unit is working to make the register available to all forces in England and Wales.

Kent County Council Act

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had concerning the operation of the Kent County Council Act 2001; whether he has consulted with persons or bodies representing traders in secondhand car parts, known as autojumbles on the operation of the Act; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: There have been no consultations by the Home Office on the Kent County Council Act. We are planning to consult on the licensing of secondhand traders later in the year. All interested parties will have the opportunity to participate.

Notting Hill Carnival

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost was of policing the Notting Hill Carnival in 2004.

Hazel Blears: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is responsible for the operational management of the force. I will ensure that he receives a copy of the question and replies to you directly in response to your concerns.

Police

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on steps taken by his Department to maintain the public's confidence in the police in rural areas.

Hazel Blears: The Government see neighbourhood policing as central to further reducing crime and people's fear of crime and increasing public trust and confidence in policing. The Government have made a commitment that by 2008, every area in England and Wales will benefit from dedicated neighbourhood policing teams which will be led by police officers and involve Special Constables, Community Support Officers, volunteers and neighbourhood wardens among others. These teams will provide a visible, accessible and responsive police presence in rural and urban areas. By the end of 2005, every force in England and Wales will have a pathfinder area (in what are known as Basic Command Units). Forces will be able to develop local approaches to neighbourhood policing which are tailored to their local needs, including those for rural areas. New measures have been introduced to the policing performance assessment framework which report on customer satisfaction with the services delivered by the police and public confidence in the police in the local area.

Police

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there are in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham; and how many there were in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

Hazel Blears: Prior to 31 March 2002, data on the number of police officers were collected at police force area level only. The number of police officers in Hammersmith and Fulham on 31 March 2004 was 516.

Police

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to re-introduce police foot patrols in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Foot patrols in Hertfordshire are an operational matter for the chief constable. However, the Government have committed to ensuring that every community in England and Wales benefits from neighbourhood policing by 2008. This will ensure that every area has dedicated, visible, accessible and responsive neighbourhood policing teams. Hertfordshire are currently moving towards a system of neighbourhood policing.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average age of a police officer was in (a) 1995, (b) 2000 and (c) 2005.

Hazel Blears: Statistics on the age of police officers were collected annually for the first time as at 31 March 2003 but only in age groups. The latest available data show that, of the 140,070 officers in post in England and Wales police forces on 31 March 2004, 14,148 (or 10 per cent.) were aged 25 or under; 75,309 (or 54 per cent.) were aged 26 to 40; 50,028 (or 36 per cent.) were aged 41 to 55; and 585 (or 0.4 per cent.) were over 55.

Police

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much total Government grant was given to each police force in England and Wales in each year from 1997–98 to 2005–06; and what the per capita allocation was in each case.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the tables. Government funding for police authorities is chiefly allocated using a funding formula that distributes resources on the basis of relative policing need. The formula is currently being reviewed to ensure it remains up to date. Funding is not, and never has been, distributed on a per capita basis.
	
		Government grant funding(16)per head of population(17)
		
			 £ 
			 Force 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06(18) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 94.52 96.85 97.60 101.29 112.31 110.22 117.39 120.77 125.49 
			 Bedfordshire(19) 95.82 96.93 95.42 99.91 107.94 115.13 117.69 120.44 125.62 
			 Cambridgeshire(19) 84.24 87.30 89.35 92.80 103.72 100.6 111.81 116.00 118.97 
			 Cheshire 88.91 91.34 95.57 100.23 106.51 108.87 120.31 120.39 123.62 
			 Cleveland 122.58 132.06 134.19 140.03 149.03 158.15 168.44 175.11 177.98 
			 Cumbria 105.43 106.94 108.60 113.77 123.88 125.25 130.76 135.46 141.44 
			 Derbyshire 88.59 91.52 94.26 95.21 106.24 105.08 112.59 116.26 119.64 
			 Devon and Cornwall 88.03 94.04 96.17 100.10 109.74 109.40 113.28 116.67 120.96 
			 Dorset 81.70 85.94 88.70 87.33 94.50 93.65 98.53 100.74 104.65 
			 Durham 108.52 117.57 123.08 129.27 137.27 138.87 149.86 154.87 161.61 
			 Dyfed-Powys 89.53 91.34 91.32 96.95 110.74 111.64 114.57 118.27 121.54 
			 Essex(19) 90.59 88.26 90.52 92.21 98.03 101.92 106.25 108.17 112.77 
			 Gloucestershire 93.57 94.74 94.35 97.93 107.57 107.25 112.38 115.68 120.93 
			 Greater Manchester 125.21 129.03 132.87 137.74 153.33 152.00 170.22 173.81 179.98 
			 Gwent 102.95 106.10 111.61 115.73 126.18 129.56 138.57 142.41 147.54 
			 Hampshire(19) 87.91 92.20 94.15 97.52 104.24 107.44 117.24 116.75 119.88 
			 Hertfordshire(19) 90.49 91.73 97.52 94.07 101.20 101.12 106.09 109.56 114.00 
			 Humberside 108.87 114.29 114.32 120.40 129.41 128.70 139.33 143.30 147.74 
			 Kent(19) 96.07 99.44 100.23 105.36 114.39 115.83 127.30 126.86 130.45 
			 Lancashire 104.63 109.53 110.95 118.32 130.73 127.88 137.07 141.25 146.92 
			 Leicestershire 92.34 93.20 97.15 100.26 110.95 109.14 117.60 120.66 126.77 
			 Lincolnshire 88.35 84.49 88.14 94.19 97.01 103.85 103.26 105.18 108.04 
			 Merseyside 150.14 152.59 154.54 160.78 170.52 180.66 195.25 201.12 206.87 
			 Metropolitan(19) 211.79 212.42 213.96 227.70 243.7 261.46 282.32 286.29 300.33 
			 Norfolk 91.37 91.84 90.65 95.41 103.19 106.33 115.66 115.34 118.40 
			 Northamptonshire 87.97 90.37 91.62 96.41 102.33 102.91 113.48 112.38 117.23 
			 Northumbria 126.11 134.98 138.05 140.95 155.45 153.22 166.88 174.22 181.36 
			 North Wales 95.01 96.33 98.35 102.77 112.54 119.44 123.90 126.40 131.70 
			 North Yorkshire 85.44 90.25 89.77 90.97 101.44 98.66 103.85 106.81 110.74 
			 Nottinghamshire 106.07 108.74 114.03 116.53 120.55 127.38 133.93 138.00 141.71 
			 South Wales 115.87 117.36 119.86 123.00 132.89 135.82 141.69 151.08 156.51 
			 South Yorkshire 111.96 115.56 120.09 124.84 131.32 136.97 151.74 153.79 158.25 
			 Staffordshire 95.05 94.50 94.51 96.45 102.10 104.48 114.46 115.22 119.66 
			 Suffolk 81.66 84.42 89.14 91.93 102.94 100.07 107.25 109.52 112.80 
			 Surrey(19) 101.66 89.09 98.45 89.29 86.54 85.61 93.18 94.02 95.76 
			 Sussex(19) 90.44 93.48 95.87 96.93 102.97 107.57 113.67 116.26 120.70 
			 Thames Valley(19) 85.97 89.94 90.48 93.06 103.42 104.22 109.72 113.04 116.87 
			 Warwickshire 86.87 86.31 87.33 96.42 115.96 101.02 110.78 108.99 111.49 
			 West Mercia 82.23 82.82 86.62 91.42 108.57 97.88 101.72 103.67 107.12 
			 West Midlands 122.96 129.04 132.80 138.23 146.43 151.75 171.37 171.89 181.53 
			 West Yorkshire 115.77 119.90 122.66 129.50 136.76 142.78 152.91 157.36 163.55 
			 Wiltshire 90.79 91.08 91.08 95.26 103.05 102.92 106.93 109.35 112.89 
		
	
	(16) Government funding includes general grant (Home Office police grant, ODPM/Welsh Assembly Government Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates). It also includes specific grants: Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Fund, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officer funding (including, for 2004–05 and 2005–06, Round 1 of the Neighbourhood Policing Fund), Airwave, DNA Expansion Programme, Counter Terrorism funding (MPS only), Street Crime Initiative, Special Priority Payments and capital grants.
	(17) Source for resident population figures: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Welsh
	Assembly Government as used in the calculation of the police funding settlements.
	(18) Estimates for 2005–06.
	(19) The Home Office also funds 75 per cent. of the cost of the London and South East allowances for all qualifying officers. These figures are not included within the totals.
	
		Total government grants(20)
		
			 £ million 
			 Police authority 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(21) 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06(22) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 138.3 142.1 144.3 150.8 168.6 166.1 174.1 180.0 189.3 
			 Bedfordshire(23) 52.3 53.2 52.7 55.6 60.7 65.1 66.7 68.8 72.1 
			 Cambridgeshire(23) 58.5 61.4 63.6 66.8 75.2 73.5 79.4 83.1 86.8 
			 Cheshire 87.0 89.5 93.9 98.7 104.7 107.2 118.3 118.7 122.4 
			 Cleveland 68.5 73.6 74.6 77.9 82.9 88.0 91.2 94.8 98.7 
			 Cumbria 51.7 52.5 53.4 56.1 60.9 61.5 63.8 66.2 69.3 
			 Derbyshire 84.9 88.0 91.0 92.4 103.5 102.7 107.7 111.9 116.8 
			 Devon and Cornwall 135.7 145.1 149.2 156.0 172.2 173.6 178.8 185.6 193.7 
			 Dorset 55.4 58.6 61.0 60.4 65.4 65.4 68.3 70.1 73.2 
			 Durham 65.9 71.5 74.9 78.6 83.3 84.3 88.7 91.4 95.7 
			 Dyfed-Powys 42.6 43.5 43.6 46.5 53.2 53.9 55.9 58.4 60.6 
			 Essex(23) 136.4 133.6 137.9 148.1 158.6 166.0 171.7 175.5 183.8 
			 Gloucestershire 51.7 52.7 52.8 54.6 60.4 60.6 63.5 65.6 68.7 
			 Greater Manchester 322.8 332.3 341.7 355.0 395.1 393.0 422.6 436.9 455.5 
			 Gwent 57.3 59.0 62.2 64.5 70.2 72.2 76.6 78.9 81.9 
			 Hampshire(23) 153.1 161.6 165.9 172.7 185.7 191.9 208.5 208.9 215.4 
			 Hertfordshire(23) 77.7 79.2 85.0 97.2 105.6 106.3 109.8 113.5 118.7 
			 Humberside 96.8 101.3 101.1 106.3 114.1 113.4 121.1 124.8 130.3 
			 Kent(23) 149.0 154.9 157.0 165.9 181.6 185.1 201.2 201.6 208.7 
			 Lancashire 149.2 156.0 158.1 168.8 186.4 182.8 194.0 200.9 210.0 
			 Leicestershire 85.2 86.4 90.3 93.1 103.7 102.4 108.7 112.7 119.0 
			 Lincolnshire 54.1 52.0 54.6 58.7 61.0 65.9 66.9 69.2 71.9 
			 Merseyside 214.3 216.7 218.4 226.6 239.3 253.5 265.9 273.7 282.2 
			 Metropolitan(23) 1,587.5 1,606.8 1,629.3 1,635.4 1,773.9 1,676.3 2,027.3 2,103.6 2,216.4 
			 Norfolk 70.6 71.4 71.0 75.4 82.2 85.5 92.3 92.6 96.0 
			 Northamptonshire 52.7 54.6 55.9 59.4 63.6 64.4 71.5 71.7 75.3 
			 Northumbria 181.4 193.6 197.4 200.9 220.5 216.7 230.9 240.8 252.5 
			 North Wales 62.4 63.2 64.5 67.6 74.0 78.9 82.2 84.5 88.3 
			 North Yorkshire 62.4 66.3 66.2 67.5 75.8 74.4 78.0 80.7 84.1 
			 Nottinghamshire 109.5 112.2 117.7 120.2 124.5 131.4 136.0 141.2 145.9 
			 South Wales 142.3 144.6 148.2 152.4 165.0 169.2 169.8 181.6 189.9 
			 South Yorkshire 146.0 150.8 156.7 162.8 171.0 178.3 192.2 194.9 201.4 
			 Staffordshire 100.4 99.8 100.2 102.4 108.3 110.7 119.9 120.7 125.5 
			 Suffolk 53.6 55.9 59.4 61.7 69.4 68.0 71.8 73.6 76.5 
			 Surrey(23) 78.8 69.2 77.2 94.7 93.3 92.5 98.7 99.7 101.9 
			 Sussex(23) 132.2 137.6 142.6 145.3 156.0 163.8 170.0 174.4 181.8 
			 Thames Valley(23) 176.0 185.8 188.7 195.3 218.9 221.8 229.6 237.3 246.9 
			 Warwickshire 43.3 43.2 44.0 48.9 58.9 51.5 56.1 55.9 57.9 
			 West Mercia 91.6 92.6 97.6 103.9 123.8 112.2 117.9 121.1 125.7 
			 West Midlands 324.3 341.0 349.3 363.1 384.6 397.4 437.7 442.8 468.1 
			 West Yorkshire 243.8 252.9 258.8 273.7 289.3 302.9 318.1 328.8 342.8 
			 Wiltshire 53.6 54.0 54.6 57.7 62.9 63.1 65.6 67.5 70.2 
		
	
	(20) Total government grants includes general grant (Home Office police grant, ODPM/Welsh Assembly Government Revenue Support Grant and National Non- Domestic Rates). It also includes specific grants: Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Fund, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officers funding (including for 2004–05 and 2005–06, Round 1 of the Neighbourhood Policing Fund), Airwave, DNA Expansion Programme, Counter Terrorism funding (MPS only), Street Crime Initiative, Special Priority Payments and capital grants.
	(21) Figures for 2001–02 are not directly comparable with 2002–03 due to the change in funding arrangements of NCS/NCIS.
	3 Estimates for 2005–06.
	4 The Home Office also funds 75 per cent. of the cost of the London and South East allowances for all qualifying officers. These figures are not included within the totals.

Police

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers, excluding support staff and community support officers, were employed in each police authority in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		Police strength by police force full-time equivalents
		
			  March September 
			 England and Wales 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 (22)2003 (22)2004 (22)2004 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 2,989 2,976 2,999 2,934 2,994 3,096 3,149 3,401 3,399 
			 Bedfordshire 1,094 1,079 1,041 1,028 1,036 1,069 1,106 1,181 1,204 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,291 1,274 1,237 1,296 1,362 1,384 1,400 1,413 
			 Cheshire 2,046 2,042 2,071 2,011 2,002 2,059 2,119 2,179 2,159 
			 Cleveland 1,459 1,483 1,416 1,404 1,407 1,461 1,582 1,687 1,591 
			 Cumbria 1,144 1,164 1,126 1,084 1,048 1,100 1,140 1,222 1,227 
			 Derbyshire 1,791 1,772 1,759 1,777 1,823 1,848 2,003 2,070 2,055 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,962 2,887 2,841 2,934 3,053 3,202 3,298 3,310 
			 Dorset 1,284 1,310 1,279 1,306 1,354 1,381 1,416 1,433 1,447 
			 Durham 1,461 1,515 1,568 1,558 1,595 1,614 1,651 1,685 1,680 
			 Essex 2,961 2,928 2,891 2,806 2,897 2,946 2,989 3,098 3,093 
			 Gloucestershire 1,133 1,104 1,104 1,114 1,173 1,183 1,227 1,284 1,269 
			 Greater Manchester 6,922 6,949 6,810 6,795 6,909 7,217 7,343 8,042 8,083 
			 Hampshire 3,452 3,490 3,473 3,419 3,438 3,480 3,668 3,706 3,744 
			 Hertfordshire 1,759 1,740 1,724 1,767 1,922 1,825 1,957 2,086 2,135 
			 Humberside 2,045 2,021 1,974 1,932 1,917 2,058 2,105 2,213 2,243 
			 Kent 3,260 3,251 3,201 3,204 3,319 3,355 3,487 3,576 3,578 
			 Lancashire 3,247 3,257 3,245 3,179 3,255 3,304 3,339 3,550 3,544 
			 Leicestershire 1,949 1,983 1,993 1,993 2,032 2,100 2,114 2,277 2,263 
			 Lincolnshire 1,196 1,191 1,140 1,115 1,202 1,198 1,221 1,228 1,216 
			 London, City of 859 825 778 732 703 764 808 853 875 
			 Merseyside 4,230 4,216 4,211 4,085 4,081 4,125 4,099 4,122 4,257 
			 Metropolitan Police 26,677 26,094 26,073 25,485 24,878 26,223 27,984 29,735 30,111 
			 Norfolk 1,432 1,430 1,381 1,381 1,420 1,468 1,499 1,510 1,536 
			 Northamptonshire 1,177 1,169 1,137 1,117 1,157 1,214 1,210 1,239 1,264 
			 Northumbria 3,677 3,769 3,840 3,788 3,857 3,929 3,943 4,040 4,067 
			 North Yorkshire 1,338 1,367 1,337 1,283 1,305 1,417 1,444 1,529 1,537 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,323 2,225 2,204 2,275 2,330 2,411 2,484 2,526 
			 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,182 3,168 3,163 3,197 3,199 3,183 3,278 3,315 
			 Staffordshire 2,211 2,292 2,238 2,170 2,129 2,133 2,202 2,266 2,283 
			 Suffolk 1,180 1,186 1,190 1,145 1,133 1,203 1,253 1,304 1,310 
			 Surrey 1,620 1,608 1,662 1,785 2,066 1,992 1,906 1,913 1,894 
			 Sussex 3,085 2,996 2,847 2,822 2,855 2,893 2,989 3,039 3,075 
			 Thames Valley 3,695 3,776 3,748 3,740 3,703 3,762 3,833 4,034 4,160 
			 Warwickshire 926 924 908 900 926 969 997 1,008 1,002 
			 West Mercia 2,040 2,010 2,025 1,887 1,951 2,018 2,256 2,355 2,302 
			 West Midlands 7,113 7,156 7,321 7,194 7,423 7,681 7,751 7,887 8,030 
			 West Yorkshire 5,209 5,155 4,982 4,822 4,815 4,889 5,029 5,275 5,446 
			 Wiltshire 1,154 1,156 1,151 1,118 1,120 1,157 1,158 1,217 1,213 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,005 1,002 1,026 1,040 1,055 1,132 1,149 1,167 1,172 
			 Gwent 1,243 1,233 1,247 1,264 1,274 1,333 1,341 1,372 1,415 
			 North Wales 1,369 1,396 1,391 1,403 1,444 1,506 1,539 1,603 1,601 
			 South Wales 2,976 2,986 2,981 2,926 3,154 3,222 3,239 3,279 3,260 
			 Total all forces 125,051 124,756 123,841 121,956 123,476 127,267 131,426 137,128 138,305 
		
	
	(22) All officers (FTE) less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures)

Police

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what obstacles there are to the retention of biometric data on the police national computer database.

Hazel Blears: There are no obstacles to the retention of biometric data. The Police National Computer (PNC) has markers that indicate if biometric data has been taken (fingerprints or DNA) primary biometric data, in the form of fingerprints, is held on the IDENT1 (previously NAFIS) service. DNA data is held on the DNA database, managed by the Forensic Science Service.

Police

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to increase the numbers of full-time police officers over the next five years (a) in England and Wales and (b) in Norfolk.

Hazel Blears: In line with our manifesto commitment we will carry on funding the police service to enable it to continue to employ historically high numbers of police officers. There were 140,135 police officers in England and Wales at the end of September 2004 and 1,536 in the Norfolk constabulary There are 6,300 community support officers (CSO) as of 31 March 2005, including 69 in Norfolk. Our booklet Neighbourhood Policing: your police; your community; our commitment" (published in March 2005) set out plans for effective neighbourhood policing over the period to 2008. This includes freeing up the equivalent of 12,000 police officers from back-office bureaucracy and our plans to provide funding to support an increase to 24,000 CSOs by 2008, through the Neighbourhood Policing Fund.

Police

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time police officers are serving in Norfolk.

Hazel Blears: The full-time equivalent police officer strength for Norfolk was 1,536 as at 30 September 2004.

Police

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers assigned to Chiltern Vale Police, broken down by rank, left Thames Valley Police for other police forces in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004; and if he will list those other police forces.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Police Precepts

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total revenue raised from police precepts was in each police authority in England and Wales for each year from 1997–98 to 2005–06.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 25.6 27.2 30.6 34.4 37.4 
			 Bedfordshire 9.5 10.2 11.3 12.5 13.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 11.7 11.2 12.3 14.9 16.5 
			 Cheshire 17.1 18.3 19.4 21.2 22.6 
			 Cleveland 8.6 7.6 9.9 10.4 11.2 
			 Cumbria 9.2 11.6 12.6 13.7 14.9 
			 Derbyshire 15.1 17.0 19.8 21.6 23.2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 26.3 25.8 28.9 32.2 34.2 
			 Dorset 16.6 18.6 20.7 22.7 24.9 
			 Durham 8.9 8.3 8.7 9.1 9.9 
			 Dyfed-Powys 8.2 10.2 12.6 14.9 16.1 
			 Essex 29.3 34.1 36.1 40.2 42.5 
			 Gloucestershire 10.0 11.4 13.8 15.8 16.8 
			 Greater Manchester 40.2 42.0 45.0 47.1 48.9 
			 Gwent 8.7 9.7 10.7 13.7 15.4 
			 Hampshire 31.8 31.1 33.6 34.7 37.5 
			 Hertfordshire 17.6 20.2 22.0 28.1 30.2 
			 Humberside 13.4 13.6 14.3 15.9 22.7 
			 Kent 28.7 27.2 29.8 31.9 34.8 
			 Lancashire 22.9 23.1 25.2 27.6 30.2 
			 Leicestershire 14.5 17.1 18.1 19.4 21.8 
			 Lincolnshire 13.4 15.5 16.3 17.5 18.7 
			 Merseyside 27.0 29.1 31.4 33.2 35.3 
			 Metropolitan 181.8 222.3 241.3 248.2 324.6 
			 Norfolk 13.0 14.0 17.0 19.3 22.6 
			 Northamptonshire 13.4 13.4 15.1 16.0 17.0 
			 Northumbria 21.3 19.4 20.3 21.2 22.9 
			 North Wales 11.2 13.6 15.7 18.8 20.0 
			 North Yorkshire 13.0 12.8 14.0 15.4 17.2 
			 Nottinghamshire 14.9 16.4 18.7 20.0 21.7 
			 South Wales 19.5 22.4 26.2 32.5 34.8 
			 South Yorkshire 18.9 19.3 20.2 21.2 22.6 
			 Staffordshire 17.7 23.6 25.8 27.5 31.5 
			 Suffolk 11.3 11.7 12.6 13.9 15.5 
			 Surrey 15.0 22.5 25.7 36.9 38.9 
			 Sussex 29.1 29.0 30.6 32.2 34.6 
			 Thames Valley 40.6 39.5 44.5 47.9 51.7 
			 Warwickshire 9.2 11.0 12.8 14.0 15.7 
			 West Mercia 19.7 21.0 23.4 29.8 32.0 
			 West Midlands 39.6 36.6 38.4 41.3 43.3 
			 West Yorkshire 31.8 31.8 33.5 36.2 37.9 
			 Wiltshire 11.8 13.6 15.1 16.8 18.7 
		
	
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 43.4 58.6 66.3 70.3 
			 Bedfordshire 15.0 18.0 20.9 22.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 23.1 28.0 32.6 34.6 
			 Cheshire 25.9 31.3 35.0 37.0 
			 Cleveland 15.5 19.5 22.4 23.8 
			 Cumbria 16.6 21.8 25.7 26.8 
			 Derbyshire 28.5 34.9 38.7 40.9 
			 Devon and Cornwall 41.2 58.2 65.8 70.1 
			 Dorset 28.1 33.8 37.9 40.5 
			 Durham 11.4 14.1 16.4 17.4 
			 Dyfed-Powys 17.5 22.4 26.1 28.0 
			 Essex 46.8 56.5 60.8 64.8 
			 Gloucestershire 19.4 29.6 33.0 34.6 
			 Greater Manchester 52.2 69.8 75.5 81.1 
			 Gwent 17.7 22.4 26.4 28.5 
			 Hampshire 48.2 62.8 70.9 75.0 
			 Hertfordshire 33.9 41.4 47.7 50.3 
			 Humberside 25.5 30.7 35.9 37.8 
			 Kent 42.8 55.9 63.0 67.0 
			 Lancashire 33.1 39.6 45.9 49.4I 
			 Leicestershire 27.9 31.0 35.9 38.2 
			 Lincolnshire 19.9 22.3 24.3 26.2 
			 Merseyside 39.3 42.3 46.2 48.9 
			 Metropolitan 361.4 443.7 521.3 560.5 
			 Norfolk 27.4 33.7 39.0 41.3 
			 Northamptonshire 22.0 27.7 32.2 33.7 
			 Northumbria 24.1 26.6 28.1 29.6 
			 North Wales 23.6 31.3 38.0 42.4 
			 North Yorkshire 24.6 43.6 49.0 50.6 
			 Nottinghamshire 26.5 34.4 38. 40.4 
			 South Wales 36.7 42.7 48.4 52.9 
			 South Yorkshire 26.9 34.4 38. 40.0 
			 Staffordshire 34.0 43.1 47. 50.3 
			 Suffolk 19.1 25.7 28. 30.2 
			 Surrey 45.4 63.8 69. 73.8 
			 Sussex 41.1 57.9 63. 67.1 
			 Thames Valley 59.2 86.1 98. 104.2 
			 Warwickshire 19.0 22.1 24. 25.5 
			 West Mercia 43.0 49.7 57. 60.7 
			 West Midlands 47.2 54.5 61. 64.6 
			 West Yorkshire 47.8 56.1 64. 69.0 
			 Wiltshire 20.7 25.2 27. 29.6 
		
	
	Source:
	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the National Assembly for Wales.

Police/Crime Statistics

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase police numbers in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 25 May 2005
	The number of police officers in Hertfordshire Constabulary stood at 2,135 on 30 September 2004. This is a record figure and represents a steady increase since March 2002. Since 2000 we have provided money for additional recruits under the Crime Fighting Fund, which in Hertfordshire's case stands at 113 officers. Any further increases are a matter for the Chief Constable and the police authority. In addition, Hertfordshire Constabulary had 99 community support officers at the end of March, an increase of 53 on 12 months earlier.

Police/Crime Statistics

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there are in Wales.

Hazel Blears: On the 30 September 2004, there were 7,501 full-time equivalent police officers in Wales.

Police/Crime Statistics

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms offences were recorded by the police in Wales in 2004.

Hazel Blears: There were 265 firearms offences recorded in Wales in 2004.

Police Support Staff

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of employing a (a) community warden or neighbourhood warden, (b) police community support officer and (c) police constable in England is expected to be in 2005–06.

Hazel Blears: Records of the average cost to local police forces of employing neighbourhood wardens, community support officers (CSOs) and police constables are not kept centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, information available to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister indicates that neighbourhood warden salaries in 2003 ranged, on average, between about £13,900 and £15,600. The interim report of the National Evaluation of Community Support Officers published in December 2004 (available at www.policereform.gov.uk) found that, of the forces surveyed, the minimum pay point, excluding allowances, for CSOs ranged nationally from £14,094 to £19,626 and the maximum ranged from £15,408 to £25,356. The pay scales for police constables range from £19,803 for a newly recruited officer, rising to £31,092 for a constable with 11 years service. Additional allowances may be payable such as a competence-related threshold payment, London weighting, London allowance, special priority payments.

Postal Votes

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what police investigations are ongoing into allegations of electoral fraud involving postal votes; and what the outcome has been of each completed police investigation into allegations of electoral fraud involving postal votes since 1997.

Hazel Blears: One case of alleged electoral fraud involving postal votes is under investigation. Five other allegations have been investigated and are not being further pursued. No other information is held centrally.

Probation Reports

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances the Probation Service is asked to issue a report on a person convicted of an offence before that person is sentenced.

Hazel Blears: It is for the court to request a Pre-Sentence Report from the Probation Service on a person convicted of an offence before sentence. The Probation Service is statutorily obliged to provide a Pre-Sentence Report when the court requests one.

Stop and Search

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has conducted research into the impact on the use of police time of the requirement to make a record of all stop and searches.

Hazel Blears: We published, The views of the public on the phased implementation of recording police stops" (Home Office Development and Practice report—22) and, An evaluation of the phased implementation of the recording of police stops" (Home Office Development and Practice report—23), in July 2004. Both reports comment on officers' recording practices, including the time officers spent on recording 'stops' and searches.

Tetra Transmision

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of whether there is an intermittent transitory impact on calcium ion concentration in rat cerebellar granule cells as a result of the switching on of Tetra transmission.

Hazel Blears: Recent research carried out for the Home Office by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has not been able to identify any effects on calcium exchanges between cells as a result of Tetra transmissions.

Traffic Officials

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) traffic enforcement officers, (b) traffic wardens and (c) council parking attendants have been operating in each police authority area in each year since 2002–03.

Hazel Blears: Information on traffic enforcement officers and council parking attendants is not collected centrally. The statistics for traffic wardens are given in the table.
	
		Traffic wardens by police force area: 2002–03 and 2003–04
		
			  Number of wardens 
			 Force 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 43 34 
			 Bedfordshire 2 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 35 17 
			 Cheshire 19 15 
			 Cleveland 7 8 
			 Cumbria 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 48 43 
			 Devon and Cornwall 103 102 
			 Dorset 0 0 
			 Durham 15 4 
			 Dyfed-Powys 13 10 
			 Essex 38 21 
			 Gloucestershire 31 21 
			 Greater Manchester 88 88 
			 Gwent 27 25 
			 Hampshire 25 23 
			 Hertfordshire 38 9 
			 Humberside 48 46 
			 Kent 0 0 
			 Lancashire 50 17 
			 Leicestershire 61 51 
			 Linconshire 21 18 
			 City of London 0 0 
			 Merseyside 52 43 
			 Metropolitan Police 687 505 
			 Norfolk 33 31 
			 Northamptonshire 7 5 
			 Northumbria 59 56 
			 North Wales 7 5 
			 North Yorkshire 0 10 
			 Nottinghamshire 29 33 
			 South Wales 99 92 
			 South Yorkshire 68 37 
			 Staffordshire 10 1 
			 Suffolk 25 25 
			 Surrey 17 8 
			 Sussex 61 67 
			 Thames Valley 42 36 
			 Warwickshire 9 8 
			 West Mercia 15 13 
			 West Midlands 74 72 
			 West Yorkshire 98 85 
			 Wiltshire 7 5

Vehicle Confiscations

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles have been confiscated as a result of antisocial behaviour in (a) Leeds and (b) Leeds West since police were given powers to do so.

Hazel Blears: A power to seize vehicles being used anti-socially arises only when they are being driven off-road without authority or on-road carelessly or inconsiderately and in such a way as to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. Statistics on the number of vehicles seized under this provision in Leeds and Leeds West are not readily available.

HEALTH

Abortions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the investigation instigated by her predecessor into the facilitation by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service of terminations in Spain of pregnancies of more than 24 weeks' gestation.

Caroline Flint: The report was commissioned to the Chief Medical Officer by the previous Secretary of State. Decisions will be taken on the publication of the report once the Secretary of State has considered the CMO's conclusions and recommendations. It would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.

Antibiotics

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will make all bacterial diseases that are resistant to all antibiotics reportable; and what steps the Government are taking to deal with the development of resistance to antibiotics in infections.

Caroline Flint: There are no plans to make all bacterial diseases resistant to antibiotics notifiable as the Health Protection Agency already operates reporting systems.
	The Government produced the UK Antimicrobial Strategy and Action Plan" in June 2000. The strategy identifies three key elements in controlling antimicrobial resistance, surveillance, to provide an information base for action; prudent antimicrobial use, to limit unnecessary pressure for the emergence of resistance; and infection control, to limit the spread of infection in general, and thus some of the need for antimicrobial agents.
	We have built on this by establishing the specialist advisory committee on antimicrobial resistance (SACAR) in 2001 to provide scientific advice. SACAR has an active work programme that is taken forward by a number of sub-groups. Another relevant initiative is the £12 million we are providing over three years to help hospital clinical pharmacists monitor the use of antibiotics.

Breastfeeding

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce a national strategy for supporting breastfeeding.

Caroline Flint: The Government do not have any plans to introduce a specific national strategy for supporting breastfeeding. However, the national health service priorities and planning framework and associated NHS local delivery plan lines already require the NHS to increase breastfeeding initiation rates by two percentage points per year for the period 2003–06 and 2005–08. Also, the public service agreement target to reduce health inequalities by 2010 has breastfeeding as an indicator for infant mortality.

Breastfeeding

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the merits of introducing legislation in England similar to the new law in Scotland outlawing discrimination against women breastfeeding in places to which members of the public have access.

Caroline Flint: The Government are fully committed to the promotion of breastfeeding and have a range of ongoing activities to increase support for breastfeeding. The Department is conducting the next National Infant Feeding Survey this year. Within this, we will be seeking women's views on breastfeeding in public places and we will consider the findings from this survey in light of the Scottish Bill.

Childhood Cancer

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the Draper report on childhood cancer and electromagnetic field exposures from power lines to be published; what assessment she has made of the data on which the findings are based; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: A study of childhood cancer in relation to distance from high voltage power lines in England and Wales was published in the British Medical Journal on 4 June. The work was led by Dr. Draper at the Oxford childhood cancer research group and was funded under the Department's radiation protection research programme. The results found an association between an increased incidence of leukaemia for children whose home address at birth was near power lines. There was no association for other childhood cancers. Magnetic field exposures were not included in the publication, but will be included in the next phase of the study. A response statement has been posted on the Health Protection Agency (HPA) website at www.hpa.org.uk/radiation.
	There have been a number of population studies in the past that have linked magnetic field exposure with a raised incidence of childhood leukaemia. This has led to the International Agency for Cancer Research to classify extremely low frequency fields as a possible carcinogen". The World Health Organization and the HPA in this country have recommended additional research and the need for further precautionary measures to be considered. Government officials have already started detailed discussions with industry, regulators, professional bodies and interest groups about how to respond and a stakeholder group has been set up with the intention of making recommendations in the interests of society as a whole.

Drug Overdoses

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of deaths caused by overdose of illegal drugs.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 6 June 2005
	Since the publication of the action plan to reduce drug-related deaths in November 2001, the Department together with the National Treatment Agency has taken steps to prevent or reduce deaths related to overdose of drugs controlled through the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. These steps include improved surveillance and monitoring; promotion of more consistency in prescribing practice; and issuing guidance to treatment commissioners and providers and to users on limiting the risks of overdose.
	Between 1999 and 2003, the most recent years for which figures are available, deaths related to overdose of controlled drugs have reduced by 14 per cent.

EU Regulation (Nutrition and Health Claims)

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the effect on industry of the proposal for a regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods (2003/0165 COM); and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: A supplementary explanatory memorandum 11646/03 was lodged in the Library in March 2004 covering a regulatory impact assessment (RIA). The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has worked together with the Small Business Service and the Cabinet Office regulatory impact unit to ensure as full an assessment as possible is made.
	The RIA has since been revised to reflect changes to the text of the proposal following negotiation. These have included lengthening the transitional periods, removing proposed bans on types of health claim and clarifying the ways in which health claims would be authorised. The areas where industry may be subject to additional costs are re-labelling, possible reformulation, scientific substantiation of the effect claimed, and where the loss of a claim makes it uneconomic to market the product.
	The FSA estimates that where nutrition or health claims underpin marketing of products the food industry and food supplements industry might face costs ranging from zero to £5 million as a result of this European Union proposal.

Food Labelling/Supplements

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking (a) in the EU and (b) within England to improve standards of food labelling.

Caroline Flint: The Government have and will continue to contribute actively to the European Commission's current comprehensive reviews of both the food labelling Directive 2000/13/EC and the nutrition labelling Directive 90/46/EC. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will be consulting fully on any proposals received. Rules on the labelling of food allergens and improved ingredient listing come into force later this year.
	In addition to the legal requirements, the FSA has issued best practice guidance on food labelling practice, some of which is being reviewed, and further guidance is in preparation. The FSA is also currently working with stakeholders to develop a system of front-of-pack signposting that will help consumers make healthier choices by providing at-a-glance information on the nutritional content of the food.

Food Labelling/Supplements

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when Ministers next plan to meet representatives of Consumers for Health Choice, the Health Food Manufacturers' Association and the National Association of Health Stores to discuss her strategy for achieving her objectives in relation to the regulation of vitamin and mineral supplements;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the implications for the attainment of her objectives in relation to the regulation of food supplements of the decision of the member companies of the Council for Responsible Nutrition to reformulate their products to remove in advance of the July deadline those safe ingredients which are not permitted under the terms of the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on progress in her efforts to find solutions to the practical problems associated with the implementation of the Food Supplements Directive;
	(4)  how the Food Standards Agency plans to influence the response of the European Commission to the forthcoming ruling of the European Court of Justice in relation to the Food Supplements Directive;
	(5)  how she plans to use the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union to influence Commission actions on food supplements legislation following the ruling of the European Court of Justice in relation to the Food Supplements Directive in July;
	(6)  what guidance she has given the Food Standards Agency concerning its plans to influence the response of the European Commission once the European Court of Justice delivers its ruling in July in relation to the legality of the Food Supplements Directive.

Caroline Flint: Ministers have regularly met with food supplement industry representatives and other groups, including Consumers for Health Choice, to discuss the Food Supplements Directive and to maintain an open dialogue. This dialogue should be continued following the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The Government's objective is to ensure the protection of consumer health.
	The decision by member companies of the Council for Responsible Nutrition to reformulate their products is a commercial one and is made on a company by company basis. It is not appropriate for Ministers to assess such commercial decisions. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has made it clear that it will give derogation to any substance where a dossier has been submitted; this applies to the 28 dossiers received to date. The FSA has offered to provide additional resource so that as many dossiers as possible are developed before 12 July 2005 to maintain consumer choice.
	The United Kingdom presidency will take forward the inherited Council agenda. Work undertaken on food supplements will depend on the outcome of the ruling of the ECJ.
	The FSA has sought clarification from the Commission on its advice following the publication of the opinion of the Advocate General. The Commission advised that no action can be taken until the ECJ issues its ruling. The FSA will then decide on its course of action, as an independent Government Department which advises Ministers. Further discussions will take place at this stage.

Genetically Modified Food/Materials

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has commissioned on the effects of genetically modified food on human health in each of the past eight years for which records are available.

Caroline Flint: In the European Union, all genetically modified (GM) foods are subject to a mandatory pre-market safety assessment before they can be permitted to enter the food chain. This assessment is carried out on a case by case basis and provides assurance that any approved GM food is as safe as its non-GM conventional counterpart. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) funds a large body of research to support the safety assessment of GM foods, but has not commissioned any specific research in the area mentioned above. Information on research carried out by the FSA can be found on its website at: www.food.gov.uk/science/research/

Genetically Modified Food/Materials

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department (a) is undertaking and (b) has commissioned into whether the DNA of genetically modified materials is being transferred into the human gut.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published research on human volunteers that examined the potential for horizontal gene transfer from genetically modified food to gut bacteria. No intact DNA was shown to be transferred to bacteria in the intestinal tract. A number of other studies on horizontal gene transfer have also been commissioned by the FSA. These have been published on the FSA website at www.food.gov.uk/ and in peer reviewed journals. No further FSA-funded research is currently under way in this area.

Genetically Modified Food/Materials

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the potential for transfer of genetically modified DNA from food products to human gut bacteria.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) earlier today.

Health Finance (Dorset)

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated financial outcome in the 2005–06 financial year is for (a) Poole Primary Care Trust, (b) Bournemouth Primary Care Trust and (c) the South East Dorset Primary Care Trust.

Caroline Flint: The financial plans for 2005–06 have not yet been finalised, but primary care trusts are expected to plan to live within their revenue resource, capital resource and cash limits each and every year.

Hospitals (Shropshire)

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent temporary staff have been employed at (a) the RJ and AH Orthopaedic Hospital Gobowen, (b) the Royal Hospital, Shrewsbury and (c) the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested. The table does not show the number of non-medical locum and temporary staff, since this information is not collected centrally.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS) staff locum doctors1 for specified organisations
		
			 Number (headcount) 
			   March 
			   1996 2002 2003 2004 2004 
		
		
			 RKF Princess Royal Hospital National Health Service Trust 4 0 0 0 0 
			 RLZ Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust 5 6 1 0 0 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 0 2 4 
			 ME2 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	(23) Excludes staff, who hold a substantive contract.
	Note:
	Data as at 30 September every year except 31 March 2004.
	Source:
	NHS health and social care information centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census

Hospitals (Shropshire)

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff at (a) the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, (b) the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford and (c) the RJ and AH Orthopaedic Hospital, Gobowen have been dedicated to the treatment of MRSA in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Hospitals (Shropshire)

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the budget of the RJ and AH Orthopaedic Hospital, Gobowen has been dedicated to the treatment of MRSA in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Hospitals (Shropshire)

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the budget of the (a) Princess Royal Hospital, Telford and (b) Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has been dedicated to the treatment of MRSA in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of waiting times for hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Information on waiting times for hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography is not held centrally. This is a matter for local determination. The guideline produced by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on the assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems advises that in certain cases a hysterosalpingogram (an X-ray) should be offered to examine fallopian tubes, and that where appropriate expertise is available, screening using hysterosalpingo-contrast-ultrasononography (a scan) should be considered as an effective alternative.

Illegal Meats

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to combat the use of illegal meats in restaurants.

Caroline Flint: The responsibility of enforcement in premises such as restaurants rests with local authorities. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) works closely with the United Kingdom's local authorities and also with other Government Departments and agencies, by sharing information and developing strategies for tackling all meat fraud more effectively.
	The FSA has introduced a number of measures to help local authorities, such as the issuing last year of comprehensive guidance to help local authorities investigating illegal meat crimes. In addition, the FSA has established a 'fighting fund' that local authorities can apply to for financial assistance when investigating meat crimes.
	The FSA has also created a UK-wide illegal meat taskforce, which is comprised of 24 enforcement officers specially trained by the FSA in advanced investigation skills and relevant legislation. Members are drawn from local authorities regionally spread across the UK. They are available to assist other enforcers investigating illegal meat.
	The FSA has established the meat fraud and diversity branch within its enforcement division, which provides technical advice and guidance directly to local authorities on relevant enforcement issues. In line with the requirements of the FSA's new strategic plan, the branch is also currently establishing a food fraud database, which will further enhance local authorities' abilities to carry out effective investigations into the trade in illegal meat.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources will be made available to NHS bodies in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza.

Caroline Flint: Planning for emergencies is a core task for national health service bodies. The Government are purchasing 14.6 million courses of antivirals to support the NHS response. The Department has published operational guidance for the NHS entitled Influenza Pandemic Contingency Planning: Operational guidance for health service planners" to help NHS organisations with their plans, and has tasked the Health Protection Agency to produce infection control guidance and clinical management protocols, which will help the NHS in planning effectively.

IVF

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the success rate of births using IVF has been in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The live birth rate per treatment cycle started, for the United Kingdom, is shown in the table:
	
		In vitro fertilisation (IVF): Live birth rates per treatmentcycle started 1997
		
			 Live birth rate (percentage) 
			  Fresh embryo transfers Frozen embryo transfers Fresh/Frozen embryo transfers 
		
		
			 1997–98 — — (24)16.41 
			 1998–99 — — (24)18.21 
			 1999–2000 — — (24)20.71 
			 2000–01 — — (24)21.81 
			 2001–02(25) — — — 
			 
			 2002–033, 4
			 under 35 27.6 15.4 — 
			 35–37 22.3 15.5 — 
			 38–39 18.3 14.0 — 
			 40–42 10.0 10.7 — 
		
	
	(24) Figures are for patients of all ages using fresh and frozen embryo transfer.
	(25) No figures published for 2001–02.
	(26) No all ages" figures published. Live birth rates published by age band and embryo type for IVF patients using own eggs.
	(27) The most recent year for which information is available.
	Source:
	Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority annual reports and patient guide.

IVF

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government have spent on the provision of IVF treatment in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: It is for primary care trusts to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of the local population, including fertility services. Information on expenditure on in vitro fertilisation is not collected centrally.

Mobile Telephones

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has examined on whether there is a link between keeping a working mobile phone in a breast pocket and cardiac rhythm dysfunction; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Only a few scientific studies have investigated if the signals from mobile phones can have a detrimental effect on the heart and I am advised that these have not found any consistent effects on cardiac function or blood pressure. The United Kingdom mobile telecommunications and health research (MTHR) programme, jointly funded by Government and industry, is currently supporting a large, well conducted study investigating the effects of mobile phones on blood pressure and cardiac function in healthy people. The results are expected to be published in 2006. Descriptions of all the studies supported under this research programme are on the MTHR website at www.mthr.org.uk.
	Research on exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields was comprehensively reviewed in 2003 by the independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) in Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields" [Documents of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), Vol. 14, No 2]. AGNIR concluded that:
	"The weight of evidence now available does not suggest that there are adverse health effects from exposures to RF fields below guideline levels, but the published research on RF exposures and health has limitations, and mobile phones have only been in widespread use for a relatively short time".
	This information is available on the Health Protection Agency (HPA) website at www.hpa.org.uk/radiation. AGNIR advises the HPA's radiation protection division, formerly the NRPB, which keeps the worldwide research findings under surveillance.

Pharmacists

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she plans to give to primary care trusts on the commissioning of services from pharmacists to secure a common protocol to be followed.

Jane Kennedy: The new community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF) went live from 1 April. Contractors should ensure by 1 October they meet the requirements for the provision of essential services. Where a pharmacy proposes to provide advanced services, it must also meet the necessary accreditation requirements. Guidance for primary care trusts (PCTs) and contractors about the new CPCF is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/Publications AndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGui dance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?C ONTENT_ID=4109256&chk=/hpbTh.
	Further guidance on commissioning local enhanced services will be available to PCTs and contractors as soon as possible.

Pharmacists

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she plans to take to ensure that patients may choose the pharmacy nominated to receive the electronic transfers of their prescriptions.

Jane Kennedy: The electronic transmission of prescriptions (ETP) service being developed by the National Health Service Connecting for Health will allow patients to nominate where they would like their prescription to be dispensed. They will be able to ask their general practitioner's surgery or a pharmacy to log their chosen dispenser with the ETP service. If asked to recommend a dispenser, a prescriber will need to provide a list of dispensers who operate the ETP service, as provided by the primary care trust. In time, it is expected that patients will also be able to log their nomination online, via HealthSpace.

Public Service Agreements

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in meeting the public service agreement target to increase in each year the proportion of drug users successfully sustaining or completing treatment programmes.

Caroline Flint: The Department is currently on track to meet its target to increase each year the proportion of drug users successfully sustaining or completing treatment programmes.
	It is estimated that the total number of individuals successfully completing or being retained in treatment in 2003–04 was 90,511.
	This is an increase from the 80,600 problem drug misusers who successfully completed or were retained in treatment in 2002–03, the first year for which these figures were available.

Smoking

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment the Government have made of the impact of smoking in the workplace on (a) individuals and (b) the NHS;
	(2)  what steps the Government are taking to encourage smoke-free working environments.

Caroline Flint: The most recent estimate of the number of workplace deaths caused by second-hand smoke was published in the British Medical Journal on 2 March 2005 in a report by Professor Konrad Jamrozik. This gave an estimate of 617 deaths a year in the United Kingdom. The author acknowledges that the results are distinctly sensitive" to some of the underlying assumptions. A copy of the paper is available in the Library.
	The cost to the national health service of treating illness and disease caused by smoking is between £1.4 billion and £1.7 billion a year.
	In the Queen's speech, the Department has set out plans for legislation to make the vast majority of enclosed public places and workplaces smoke-free within the next four years.
	A partial impact regulatory assessment (RIA) has been published alongside the Choosing Health White Paper, which gives initial estimates of the possible impact on smoking prevalence. This estimates that the proposal outlined in the White Paper might reduce smoking rates by between 0.7 and 1.7 percentage points. The RIA contains estimates of costs and benefits of a ban on smoking in the workplace. A copy is available in the Library.

Surplus Sites

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those sites in England and Wales, within her responsibility, which have been identified as surplus to requirements; what plans have been identified as theirpossible future use; what consultative process will be followed in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The list shows the larger sites that are surplus to the requirements of the national health service in England and in the ownership of Secretary of State for Health.
	The list includes 22 sites that are due to transfer to English Partnerships (EP) as part of a wider agreement with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and in support of the Government's sustainable communities plan. 67 surplus NHS sites have already been transferred to EP this year, as part of the same programme. It will be for EP to decide how to take forward all these sites subject to the normal planning process.
	The list also includes other larger sites which are surplus to the requirements of the NHS but which are not being transferred to EP. Arrangements for the disposal of these sites are at various stages and it is not clear in every case exactly what the future use will be. It is likely that most will be redeveloped for residential purposes; the manner of development will be the subject of local consultation and the planning process.
	Turner Village, Colchester 1
	St. Margaret's Hospital, Epping 1
	Runwell Hospital, Wickford 1
	Part Harperbury Hospital, Radlett, Herts
	Part Little Plumpstead Hospital, Nr Norwich
	Part Cane Hill, Coulsdon 1
	Part Napsbury Hospital, Herts
	St. Leonard's, Ringwood 1
	Standish Hospital, Stroud
	Okehampton Castle Hospital, Okehampton
	Part Countess of Chester, Chester 1
	Northern View, Bradford
	Sedgefield Hospital, Sedgefield
	St. Mary's, Stannington
	Homelands Hospital, Crook 1
	Part Hartlepool General Hospital, Hartlepool 1
	Part St. George's Hospital, Morpeth 1
	Part Prudhoe Hospital, Prudhoe 1
	Part Cherry Knowle, Sunderland 1
	Part Wharfedale Hospital, Otley 1
	Part Grimsby District General Hospital, Grimsby 1
	Middleton Hospital, Ilkley
	Graylingwell, Chichester 1
	Stone House, Dartford 1
	Part St. Ebbas, Epsom 1
	Part West Park Hospital, Epsom 1
	Part Southlands Hospital, Shoreham 1
	Land at Gordon Barracks, Gillingham
	Land at Forest Lodge, St. James Hospital, Portsmouth
	Eastry Hospital, Kent
	Hollywood Lodge, Epsom
	Part Manor/Kingsway Hospital, Derby 1
	Part Towers Hospital, Leicester 1
	Land at Towers Hospital, Leicester
	Royal Shrewsbury, South 1
	The Beeches Hospital, Telford 1
	Lake View Close, St. Margaret's Hospital site, Great Barr, Birmingham
	Land at Alexandra Hospital, Redditch
	1 Denotes sites that will transfer to English Partnerships

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Postal Voting

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make it her policy to end postal voting on demand.

Harriet Harman: It is not the Government's policy to end postal voting on demand but it is our policy to tighten the security of postal voting.

Postal Voting

Mark Francois: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her policy is on all-postal vote elections.

Harriet Harman: In relation to postal voting we have no plans to change the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 2000 which requires the Secretary of State to consider any application to pilot all postal voting.

Postal Voting

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what (a) the earliest and (b) the latest date was on which returning officers were able to dispatch postal votes to voters during the recent general election.

Harriet Harman: In the general election last month, the earliest date on which postal votes could be dispatched to voters was 19 April. They cannot be printed or dispatched until close of nominations and the latest date they could be dispatched was 4 May—for replacements where the original had gone astray.

House of Lords

Alan Beith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on House of Lords reform.

Harriet Harman: We intend to continue with reform of the House of Lords to create an effective legitimate chamber while maintaining the primacy of this House.

Voter Registration

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her policy is on individual voter registration.

Harriet Harman: We want to ensure that we have electoral registers which are comprehensive and secure. We are proposing that to be included on the register an individual should give a signature and date of birth. We currently propose to stick with one form per household.

Voter Registration

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the level of voter registration for the recent general election.

Harriet Harman: The number of UK registered electors at the general election was 44,261,545. This figure excludes the registered electors of the Staffordshire South constituency who numbered 69,604 as at 26 May 2005.
	Our estimate based on departmental research is that 93 per cent. of those are eligible to vote.

Claims Farming

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures she plans to take to discourage the practice of claims farming.

Bridget Prentice: We plan to bring forward legislation in the Compensation Bill to regulate claims farmers to ensure that consumer safeguards are improved and abuses are dealt with.

Legal Aid

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for civil legal aid.

Bridget Prentice: The Government and the Legal Services Commission are working to ensure that the civil legal aid spend is better targeted at protecting the vulnerable, especially children at risk and the socially excluded. The Fundamental Legal Aid Review (FLAR), launched in May 2004, has been examining how legal aid can provide services that meet the needs of society, help people improve their lives and prevent social exclusion.

Legal Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Legal Services Commission intends to carry out a pilot test of its consultation proposals regarding the introduction of price competitive tendering to the criminal legal aid system.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Service Commission (LSC) is currently analysing responses to its consultation exercise on proposals to introduce price competitive tendering (PCT) for publicly funded criminal defence services in London. A final decision on the most suitable way forward, including whether a pilot scheme might be appropriate, will be made in the light of the comments received. However, the LSC considers that the market in London, with almost 500 solicitors' firms contracted to provide criminal legal aid services would be well suited to PCT, and would also be consistent with its statutory obligation to optimise value for money.

Legal Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Department has to extend the introduction of price competitive tendering to the criminal legal aid system in parts of England and Wales outside London.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission and the Department for Constitutional Affairs will continue to seek to improve the way in which these services are purchased to assure quality for clients and achieve better value for money. This may include a greater use of managed competition. The current consultation on the proposed system for London will help inform this process.

Legal Aid

Greg Pope: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much funding for legal aid the Department and its predecessor provided in each year since 1997.

Bridget Prentice: The total amount of funding provided for legal aid each year is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2004–05 2,053 
			 2003–04 2,084 
			 2002–03 1,913 
			 2001–02 1,719 
			 2000–01 1,666 
			 1999–2000 1,556 
			 1998–99 1,623 
			 1997–98 1,527

Asylum/Work Permits

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent legal advisers facilitating unfounded claims for (a) asylum and (b) applications for work permits.

Bridget Prentice: The Government take the matter very seriously. The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and the Law Society, which regulate immigration advisers, have a duty to ensure that advisers act properly.
	Since becoming fully operational in May 2001, the OISC has used its powers to prosecute advisers, refuse applications for registration and to withdraw regulation from advisers.
	The Law Society has put in place a raft of measures to ensure that immigration advisers are acting properly, ranging from investigations to referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
	The Legal Services Commission has taken a number of steps to ensure that only suppliers meeting rigorous quality standards can provide publicly funded advice.

Census Returns

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs under what arrangements (a) the College of Arms and (b) other applicants receive copies of personal information from closed decennial census returns; and if she will take steps to extend those arrangements to allow personal information to be exceptionally released from the 1911 and 1921 censuses for Ordsall Hall, Retford, Nottinghamshire.

Harriet Harman: The 1911 census returns are in the custody of the National Archives, and requests for information contained in them are considered on a case by case basis under the Freedom of Information Act, in consultation with the Office for National Statistics as the transferring department. So far it has not been possible to make any returns from the 1911 census available, including the one referred to by the hon. Member, because they are covered by the S.41 exemption of the Act relating to breach of confidence.
	Census returns from 1921 onwards were taken under the provisions of the Census Act 1920 and are in the custody of the Registrar-General for England and Wales. The 1920 Act prohibits the release of personal information by the Registrar-General without lawful authority. In consequence, they are covered by S.44 of the FOI Act relating to information prohibited from disclosure by or under any enactment. No returns from the 1921 census have been made available under the Freedom of Information Act.

Census Returns

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on (a) 100-year decennial census closure and (b) the Public Records Act instrument no. 12 (1966); and what the basis is for the Government's policy that the 1911 and 1921 census returns for Ordsall Hall, Retford, Nottinghamshire shall continue to be closed to inspection for 100 years.

Harriet Harman: The reasons behind the Government's policy of releasing decennial census returns after a period of 100 years were most recently set out by the Constitutional Affairs Minister on 29 March 2004. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, extended closure instrument no. 12 of 1966 ceases to apply. In accordance with the Act and with Government policy, the National Archives considers each request for access to the 1911 returns on a case by case basis, in consultation with the Office for National Statistics as the transferring department. So far it has not been possible to grant any of these requests, including the one referred to by the hon. Member, because they are covered by s.41 exemption of the Act relating to breach of confidence.
	Census returns from 1921 onwards were taken under the provisions of the Census Act 1920 and are in the custody of the Registrar-General for England and Wales. The 1920 Act prohibits the release of personal information by the Registrar-General without lawful authority. In consequence, they are covered by s.44 of the FOI Act relating to information prohibited from disclosure by or under any enactment.

Census Returns

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the UK courts have tested Government policy on withholding personal information from the decennial censuses from being inspected before the records are 100 years old.

Harriet Harman: The Government's policy of releasing individual census returns after a period of 100 years has not been tested in the UK courts.

Crown Court Trials

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on her plans to reform the length and cost of trials in Crown courts.

Harriet Harman: Steps are being taken by my Department to address lengthy trials. A protocol for dealing with such trials was recently issued by the Lord Chief Justice.
	My Department is also considering reform of the legal aid system to ensure that the provision of legal aid is placed on a sustainable footing, while ensuring that publicly-funded legal services are available for those who need them. We intend to publish proposals before the recess, including proposals that will help reduce the length and cost of criminal cases.

Electoral Fraud

Mr. Prentice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people in each year since 1995 have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of certifying in the electoral registration form that individuals were living at an address when they were not.

Harriet Harman: Local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for compiling the electoral register for their registration area, and electoral law provides that an ERO may require persons to give information required for the purposes of that officer's duties in maintaining electoral registers. It is an offence for any person to give false information in response to such a request. Figures are not collected centrally in respect of prosecutions arising from this provision.

EU Constitution (EU Funding)

Ian Davidson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Government have requested limits on the (a) spending and (b) activities of institutions of the European Union (i) before and (ii) during the referendum on the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe.

Harriet Harman: The institutions of the European Union are responsible for their own expenditure and activities in terms of providing information to the public, though they have made clear that they will consult HMG about any public information activities in the UK. Ministers and officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are in contact with EU institutions in order to ensure clarity of and continuing respect for the role of the institutions in providing information about the EU.

Freedom of Information Act

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 since January.

Harriet Harman: The introduction of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 has begun a process of cultural change towards greater openness, transparency and accountability across central Government and the wider public sector.
	Since full implementation on 1 January 2005, a huge amount of new, valuable and interesting material has been given out and thousands of information requests have been responded to.
	The Freedom of Information Act has brought significant disclosures of information across the whole of the public sector and the Government are confident that an important process of cultural change has begun.
	The Government will publish shortly monitoring statistics for the operation of Freedom of Information within central Government Departments during the first quarter of 2005.

Judicial Appointments

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to introduce fixed-term judicial appointments in (a) the Crown court and (b) the High Court.

Harriet Harman: None.

Judicial Appointments

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to improve the judicial career opportunities for district judges.

Harriet Harman: On 5 March the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor announced that he would be exploring the possibility of developing mentoring arrangements for salaried judges. Such a scheme would be aimed at helping those at the more junior levels of the judiciary—including District Judges—to progress to higher judicial office. My Department is now working with the judiciary to see what scheme might be appropriate. The Lord Chancellor will announce his decision in due course.

Judicial Appointments

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans her Department has to change the statutory eligibility requirements for judicial office.

Harriet Harman: On 5 March this year the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor announced that he would review the statutory eligibility requirements for judicial appointment to see how a broader range of people with appropriate and measured experience might be made eligible. My Department is now working to identify options for change. The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor will announce his conclusions in due course.

Judicial Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to her answer of 24 May 2005, Official Report, column 86W, on judicial appointments, how many of the appointments were(a) women, (b) black and (c) Asian in each category.

Harriet Harman: Of the 449 judicial appointments since 1 March 2005, 211 were women, 21 were black and 20 were Asian. The following table details this breakdown in each category.
	
		Breakdown of total number of appointments by female, black and Asian
		
			  Female Black Asian Total number of appointments 
		
		
			 Senior appointments 0 0 0 3 
			 Circuit Bench appointments 1 0 0 3 
			 District Bench and Masters  appointments 1 0 0 8 
			 Recorder appointments 3 0 1 39 
			 Tribunal appointments 27 0 1 56 
			 Magistrate appointments 179 21 18 340 
			 Total 211 21 20 449

Legal Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment has been made of the likely impact of proposals to introduce price competitive tendering to the criminal legal aid system on (a) small solicitors firms, (b) black and ethnic minority communities and (c) socially excluded and vulnerable members of the community.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has already undertaken preliminary assessments in respect of the impact of price competitive tendering on all current suppliers in the London area, including small solicitors' firms. It has worked with suppliers and their representative bodies throughout the consultation period to enhance its understanding and has held a number of workshops which allowed suppliers to express their views and concerns directly to the LSC. This has helped to identify small firm issues that will be considered as part of the further work undertaken in the context of the final proposals following consultation.
	Quality of service and access to advice are a key priority for the LSC. The Commission's view is that all clients (including BME communities and the socially excluded) receiving services following any tendering process will be assured a quality service through the application of robust quality assurance mechanisms and the use of peer review of suppliers' services.

Name Changes (Deed Poll)

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people have changed their name by deed poll in each year since 1997; what estimate she has made of the number of people who changed their name without registering the change by deed poll in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The enrolment of change of name by Deed Poll in the Supreme Court is undertaken by the Central Office in the Royal Courts of Justice under the provisions of the Enrolment of Deeds (Change of Name) Regulation 1994. The Royal Courts of Justice is part of Her Majesty's Courts Service which is an executive agency of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	The number of people who have enrolled their change of name by Deed Poll in the Royal Courts of Justice, since 1997 are:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 246 
			 1998 227 
			 1999 210 
			 2000 254 
			 2001 193 
			 2002 184 
			 2003 209 
			 2004 195 
		
	
	The enrolment of a Deed Poll provides a public record of a persons' change of name and the details of the name change are published in the London Gazette. There is no requirement to enroll a Deed Poll. There is no central register for all changes of name by Deed Poll. Only those names enrolled are recorded.
	No estimates have been made as to the number of people who choose to change their name by Deed Poll, but not enroll that change.

North-East Regional Assembly Referendum

Ian Davidson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action the Government intend to take on recommendations made by the Electoral Commission on the conduct of the North East Regional Assembly referendum; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: I understand that The Electoral Commission's report will be published in the autumn of this year. The Government will give careful consideration to any recommendations which the Commission make.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what monitoring is carried out of the proportion of applications to admit previous sexual history in rape trials under the provision of section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, which are successful.

Harriet Harman: None. The Government do not keep statistical records of applications to admit previous sexual history in rape trials under the provisions of Section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. There are therefore no figures available to ascertain the proportion of successful applications. The Home Office commissioned research into the operation of defence applications of this nature, which it will publish in due course.

Rape Trials

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of rape trials were heard by recorders of the Crown Court in the last year for which figures are available.

Harriet Harman: Figures relating to the proportion of rape trials heard by Recorders of the Crown Court are provided in the table.
	
		Rape trial cases heard by Recorders
		
			  Recorder Total Proportion of rape trials heard by recorders (percentage) 
		
		
			 2002 38 1,377 2.8 
			 2003 43 1,494 2.9 
			 2004 42 1,531 2.7 
			 2005 12 530 2.3

Referendums

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Government have to bring forward legislation to allow a recount to be held in a nationwide referendum; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Any legislative provision for recounts will be contained in an order to be made under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 setting down the rules for the conduct of referendums. The order will be subject to full parliamentary scrutiny.

Referendums

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will publish the guidelines to returning officers for holding recounts in parliamentary elections.

Harriet Harman: The Government do not issue guidance to local authorities on factors to be taken into account before, during or after a UK parliamentary election. Guidance on the administration of elections is issued to returning officers by the Electoral Commission— Managing a UK parliamentary general election–a good practice guidance manual" is available on the Commission's website at: http://www.electoralcomm ission.gov.uk/files/dms/GeguidancePartGFINAL_158 42_11649_E_S_W_.pdf. Guidance on recounts can be found in Part G of this document. Other specific guidance—for instance on security issues and returning officers' expenses—is issued by my Department and is available on the departmental website.
	Returning officers operate independently from both local authorities and central government. Any guidance is offered for their assistance but they are not bound either to accept or to follow it.

Referendums

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what restrictions there are on campaign spending by (a) Northern Ireland political parties and (b) Northern Ireland-based registered third parties in (i) UK-wide referendums and (ii) Northern Ireland-only referendums.

Harriet Harman: The restrictions on campaign spending are set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). A campaigning body or individual wishing to spend more than £10,000 at a referendum held under this Act would need to register with the Electoral Commission as a permitted participant."
	The expenditure limits for a political party registered as a permitted participant in a UK-wide referendum are determined by the share of the vote that the party achieved in the most recent Westminster parliamentary general election, as set out in the table.
	
		
			 Percentage of the vote Amount 
		
		
			 30 £5 million 
			 20 to 30 £4 million 
			 10 to 20 £3 million 
			 5 to 10 £2 million 
			 less than 5 £500,000 
		
	
	A permitted participant, including a political party, is able to apply to the Electoral Commission to be the designated organisation for the outcome they are campaigning for. In this case the expenditure limit for a UK-wide referendum would be £5 million.
	The expenditure limit for all other permitted participants at a UK-wide referendum, which would include Northern Ireland-based recognised third parties, would be £500,000, regardless of where the permitted participants are based.
	For a Northern Ireland-only referendum the expenditure limits would be set by order by the Secretary of State, having sought the views of the Electoral Commission.

Special Advisers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will publish the names of the special advisers employed within the Department.

Harriet Harman: Lord Hart of Chilton and Mr. Philip Bassett are employed by the Department for Constitutional Affairs as special advisers.

Supreme Court

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made to date in establishing Middlesex Guildhall as the venue for the new Supreme Court.

Harriet Harman: The Government have appointed the team to transform Middlesex Guildhall into the new UK Supreme Court. Project managers Drivers Jonas and lead architects Feilden and Mawson, supported by Foster and Partners, were selected following a competitive tender. This team are now taking forward the project to design and refurbish Middlesex Guildhall, in consultation with the Law Lords.

Terrorism Trials

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions Ministers have had with the Home Office regarding the future conduct of trials in terrorism cases.

Harriet Harman: Department for Constitutional Affairs Ministers hold regular meetings with their Home Office colleagues where various issues are discussed including the future conduct of trials in terrorism cases.

UK Presidency (EU)

Kate Hoey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what communication activities are planned in relation to the policy areas covered by her Department during the UK presidency of the EU; and what budget has been allocated for these activities.

Harriet Harman: Communications activity for the UK presidency of the EU is being co-ordinated centrally by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	As part of this, DCA will undertake activities to ensure that information about the Department's role in taking forward the presidency programme is fully available to Parliament, practitioners and other stakeholders, and to the public.
	No additional budget has been allocated within my Department.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value of the opium crop in Afghanistan was in each of the last five years.

Kim Howells: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan. Full details can be found on their website: http://www.unodc.org.
	UNODC assess that the Farm Gate Value" of opiates in Afghanistan in the last five years is as follows:
	
		Farm gate value 
		
			  US$ 
		
		
			 2000 91 million 
			 2001 56 million 
			 2002 1.2 billion 
			 2003 1.02 billion 
			 2004 0.6 billion 
		
	
	The UK, as lead nation on counter narcotics (CN), remains committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their comprehensive 2005 CN Implementation Plan and in updating their National Drug Control Strategy. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) on 2 June 2005, Official Report, column 234W, on the counter narcotics programme in Afghanistan,.

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much financial assistance was provided to Afghanistan in each of the last five years.

Kim Howells: Between Financial Years (FY) 2000–01 and 2004–05, the UK provided around £570 million in development assistance to Afghanistan (including support for humanitarian assistance, security sector reform and counter-narcotics). The following table provides the yearly breakdown. We also provide about £40 million each year to Afghanistan through multilateral channels such as the United Nations and the European Union.
	
		£ million
		
			  Financial year 
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Department for International Development (DFID) Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs Department 5 45 45 6 — 
			 DFID Afghanistan Programme — — 33 75 78 
			 Cross Whitehall Counter Narcotics Fund — — — 16.6 28 
			 Global Conflict Prevention Pool (joint DFID-Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)-Ministry of Defence) — — 11 10.3 16.3 
			 FCO Global Opportunities Fund — — — — 0.7 
			 Total 5 45 89 107.9 123

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to him dated 18 January 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Iqbal.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 24 May 2005, Official Report, column 66W. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied on 6 April 2005.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to him dated 14 January 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Hina Khalid.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Mullin) gave him on 6 April 2005, Official Report, column 1486W, and the reply I also gave him on 24 May 2005, Official Report, column 66W. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied on 1 April 2005.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to him dated 7 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mehwish Saeed.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 24 May 2005, Official Report, column 65W. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter with regard to Mehwish Saeed on 15 March.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to him dated 15 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. S. Siddique.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter with regard to Mrs. Siddique on 6 June.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to him dated 7 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. R. Sufi.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend replied to my right hon. Friend's letter with regard to Mr. M.R. Sufi on 7 June.

EU Legislation

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the UK legislation that has partly or wholly implemented EU legislation in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: There is no central register of UK legislation wholly or partly implementing EU legislation.
	EU legislation may be directly applicable, implemented by administrative means, or introduced when domestic legislation is amended for other purposes. Where EU legislation does require transposition into national law, it may be implemented either by primary legislation, or by secondary legislation under the European Communities Act 1972 (the ECA). The majority of EU legislation is enacted under section 2(2) of the ECA. House of Commons Standard Note SN/IA/2888 gives further information, including on the number of Statutory Instruments enacted under the ECA in each parliamentary session.
	Transposition notes, available in the Library of the House, show how all the main elements of individual EU directives have been or will be transposed into UK law. We aim to ensure that UK implementation of EU legislation minimises administrative burdens.

EU Presidency

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the job descriptions are of the members of staff within the Presidency Unit; and what the projected staff budget for financial year 2005–06 is.

Douglas Alexander: Job descriptions for members of staff in the EU Presidency Unit are:
	Team Leader—To deliver the programme and organisation of the 2005 UK
	Presidency of the EU;
	Deputy Team Leader—Working with the Presidency Team Leader, help oversee the preparations for the 2005 UK Presidency of the EU. Input on Presidency policy priority issues. Day-to-day management of the Presidency Team. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) lead on the organisation of the European Councils and supervision of arrangements for the Gymnich;
	Head of External Communications—To co-ordinate the Presidency public diplomacy strategy, both presentation of the UK Presidency in other EU member states, and presentation of the UK Presidency within the UK. To oversee issues related to the Presidency Website;
	Desk Officer—To be the Presidency Team focal point on third country issues/summits/meetings. To schedule all third country meetings during the Presidency;
	Resource Management Officer—To advise the Presidency Team on policy and procedures for UK resource related issues. Primary point of contact for the Team on FCO's policy on resource issues. Responsible for correct disbursement of the Presidency budget and post-Presidency budgetary report;
	Desk Officer—To set up, clear, maintain and publish the Presidency calendar of events. To lead on the organisation of the Commission visit within the Presidency Unit. Logo Branded items;
	Desk Officer—To provide the Team lead on the Gymnich meeting during the UK Presidency (including on agenda issues) and support the Deputy Head of Team on European Councils. Support also on third country issues and other Presidency events. Logo branded Stationery;
	Website Manager—Responsible for the delivery and operational management of the UK EU Presidency Website;
	Website Editor x 2—Responsible for servicing the content for the Website and updating it throughout the Presidency;
	Support staff x 1—To provide administrative support to Desk Officers, Head, Deputy Head and Unit RMO;
	Support Staff x 1—To provide administrative support to the EU Presidency Team.
	A budget of £741,415 has been allocated to cover the costs of additional staff requirements in Brussels for 2005–06. Staffing of the Presidency unit is being met through re-prioritisation of existing FCO resources and is costed at £400,303 for 2005–06.

European Council

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decisions the European Council has taken by (a) vote, (b) majority vote and (c) qualified majority vote in each of the last 10 years.

Douglas Alexander: The European Council, composed of Heads of State or Government, generally acts by consensus rather than by voting. The Council of Ministers, by contrast, takes decisions by simple majority, qualified majority or unanimity voting, in accordance with its legal framework. Since January 2001, details of voting in the Council of Ministers have been published by the Council Secretariat in its monthly summaries of Council acts. These can be accessed on the Council's internet site at http://ue.eu.int/cms3_applications/showPage.ASP?id=551&lang=en& mode=g

European Council

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of documents in the register of the European Council is fully accessible to the public.

Douglas Alexander: The European Council as such has no such register of documents. Regulation No. 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 requires the Community institutions to make available an electronic document register. One of these is held by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. The Council Secretariat has informed us that as at 21 February 2005, 61.6 per cent. of all registered documents were fully accessible to the public.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the UK representatives at the meeting of the EU-Israel Association Committee on 14 April were; and what the official position of each is.

Douglas Alexander: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, led by the Deputy Head of Mission of the British embassy in Tel Aviv, represented the UK.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals were agreed at the meeting on 14 April for sub-committees under the EU-Israel Association Agreement; and what arrangements have been made for monitoring human rights issues.

Douglas Alexander: No final agreements have been reached yet. We will submit any formal proposals to Parliament for scrutiny.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the organisations and individuals who presented evidence to the EU-Israel Association Committee on 14 April on human rights within Israel and the Occupied Territories.

Douglas Alexander: The EU Presidency and the European Commission, including the Middle East Director from the Foreign Relations Directorate General, jointly led the EU Delegation. Representatives from the Council Secretariat and member states also attended. The Director General for Europe from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs led the Israeli Delegation.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make available to Parliament the formal proposals on sub-committees of the EU-Israel Association Committee before they are submitted to the Council of Ministers for adoption.

Douglas Alexander: The proposals will be scrutinised by the House of Commons and House of Lords European Union Committee before they are submitted to the Council of Ministers for adoption.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the formal proposals on sub-committees of the EU-Israel Association Committee to be decided by the Council.

Douglas Alexander: We expect the formal proposals on sub-committees to be decided before the end of June.

Kosovo

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the views the United Kingdom will advance at the forthcoming United Nations conference on the future status of Kosovo.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 6 June 2005
	There are no plans for a forthcoming United Nations conference on Kosovo.

Sudan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the situation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Defence discussed the provision of NATO and EU support to the African Union (AU) mission in Darfur, ahead of the 26 May AU donor conference, in the margins of the 23 May General Affairs and External Relations Council. Our joint FCO-DFID Sudan Unit holds regular discussions on Darfur with the Ministry of Defence and other Whitehall Departments.
	We remain gravely concerned about the situation in Darfur. While direct clashes between the Government and the rebel groups have lessened in recent months, banditry and general insecurity continue to hamper the delivery of humanitarian assistance. We fully support the AU mission in Darfur and announced a further contribution of £6.6 million at a donors' conference in Addis Ababa on 26 May, bringing our total contribution to that mission to over £20 million. In addition, we have contributed £73.7 million since September 2003 to humanitarian relief in Darfur. We welcome the announcement that peace talks between the Government of Sudan and the Darfur rebel groups will reconvene in Abuja on 10 June. A UK representative will attend and offer support to the African Union mediators.

United States

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the US Administration with regard to the proposed national security directive on space; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: We have had no discussions with the US Administration on the proposed national security directive on space

Visas

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what stage the initial appeal against refusal for a settlement visa for Kean Antonio Robert Andrews, reference KGN 83103 has reached; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: UKvisas, the Department responsible for entry clearance matters arising overseas, sent a letter on this matter to my hon. Friend on 1 June 2005, in line with UKvisas' target response times.

Western Sahara

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for a referendum to be held on the future of the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The United Kingdom fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to find a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the Western Sahara dispute which provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination.
	We believe UN efforts to find a solution to the dispute should be maintained and continue to urge all parties to the dispute to engage constructively with the UN. There are no plans for a UN referendum to be held in the near future.